FROM   THE   LIBRARY   OF 

REV.    LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON,   D.  D. 

BEQUEATHED   BY   HIM   TO 

THE  LIBRARY  OF 

PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


UMekm 

Section 


a.4 


( 


SOME 


'S? 


^OFPR/JV^s 


REMARKABLE  P  A  ,§  SS^ES  J931 

IN    THE 


3* 


OBIQNLSm 


;■>.- 


& 


OF    THE 

Hon.  Col.  JAMES  GAR  DI NER, 

Who  was  Slain  at  the 

BATTLE  of  PRESTON  PANS, 

SEP  T E  MB E  R  at,  1745. 

TO    WHICH    IS    ADDED, 

The      S     E    R    M    O    N, 

OCCASIONED  BY  HIS 

HEROICK     DEATH. 


by    P.   DODDRIDGE,  d.  d. 


-Juftior  alter 


Nee  Pietatefuity  nee  Bello  major  &  Ar mis .     Virg. 


PRINTED    at    BOSTON, 

by  I.  THOMAS  and  E.  T.  ANDREWS, 

FAUSTs  Statue,   No.  45,  Newbury  Street. 


M,DCC,XC1I. 


T  O 

Cornet  in  Sir  JOHN  COPE's 

Regiment    of    Dragoons* 
Dtar   Sir, 

V  T  HILE  my  heart  is  following  you 
with  a  truly  paternal  folicitude,  through  ail  the 
dangers  of  military  life,  in  which  you  are  thus 
early  engaged,  anxious  for  your  fafety  amid  ft  the 
iafiiuments  of  death,  and  the  far  more  danger- 
ous allurements  of  vice  ;  I  feel  a  peculiar. pleaf- 
ure  in  being  able  at  length,  though  after  fuch 
long  delavs,  to  put  into  your  hands  the  Memoirs- 
with  which  X  now  prefciit  you.  They  contain 
many  particulars,  which  would  have  been  wor- 
thy of  your  attentive  netice,  had  they  related  to 
a- -per foil  of  the  rnoft  diflant  nation  or  age;  But 
they  wiil,  I  doubt  not,  command  your  peculiar 
regard,  as  they  are  facred  to  the  memory  of  tha* 
excellent  man,  from  whom  you  had  the  honour 
to  derive  your  birth,  and  by  whofe  generous  and 
.  affectionate  care  you  have  been  laid  under  all  the 
obligations  which  the  belt  of  fathers  could  con- 
fer on  a  laoft  beloved  fon, 

Herb 


DEDICATION. 

Here,  Sir,  you  fee  a  gentleman,  who  with  all 
the  advantages  of  a  liberal  and  religious  educa- 
tion, added  to  crery  natural  accomplishment  that 
could  render  him  moil  agreeable,  entered,  before 
he  had  attained  the  feature  of  a  man,  on  thofe 
arduous  and  generous  fervices  to  which  you  ary 
devoted,  and  behaved  in  them  with  a  gallantry 
and  courage,  which  will  always  give  a  fplendor 
to  his  name  among  the  fjritifh  foldiery,  and  ren- 
der him  an  example  to  all  officers  of  his  rank. 
But  alasT  amidfl  ail  the  intrepidity  of  the  mar- 
tial Hero,  you  fee  him  rarnjuifhed  by  the  blan- 
difhmerrts  of  pleafure,  and  in  cha^e  of  it  plung- 
ing himfelf  into  follies  and  vices,  for  which  no 
\va?rt  of  education  or  genius  could  have  been  a 
rfE'fcient  excufe.  You  be,hold  him  urging  the 
igooble  and  fatal  purfuit,  unmoved  by  the  terrors 
whjch  death  was  continually  darting  around  him, 
and  the  moil  fig*iai  deliverances  by  which  Prov- 
idence again  and  again  refcued  him  from  thofe 
terrors ;  till  at  length  he  was  reclaimed  by  aa 
ever  memorable  interposition  of  divine  grace. 
Then  you  have  the  pleafure  of  feeing  him  be- 
*  come  in  good  earneii  a  Convert  to  ChrijUanityy  and 
by  fpeedy  advances  growing  up  into  one  of  its 
brighteit  ornaments ;  his  mind  continually  filled 
with  the  great  ideas  which  the  gofpek  of  our  Re- 
deeemer  fuggefts,  and  bringing  the  blefled  influ- 
ence of  its  fublime  principles  into  every  relation 

of 


D  ED  ICATIO  N." 

of  military  and  civil,  of  public  and  domeflic  life* 
You  trace  him  perfevering  in  a  Ready  and  uni* 
form  courfe  of  goo^dnefs,  through  a  long  feries 
of  honourable  and  profperous  years-,  the  de- 
light, of  all  that  were  fo  happy  as  to  know  hir^ 
and,  in  his  fphere,  the  mofl  faithful  guar- 
dian of  his  country  ;  till  at  lad,  worn  out  with 
honourable  labours,  and  broken  with  infirmities 
which  they  had  haftened  upon  him  before  the 
time,  you  fee  him  forgetting  them  at  once  at  the 
call  of  duty  and  Providence  ;  with  all  the  gen- 
erous ardour  of  his  mofl  vigorous  days  rufhing 
on  the  enemies  of  religion  and  liberty,  fuftaining 
their  (hock  with  the  mofl  deliberate  fortitude, 
when  deferted  by  thofe  that  fhould  have  fup- 
ported  him,  and  cheerfully  facnficing  the  little 
remains  of  a  mortal  life,  in  the  triumphant  views 
of  a  glorious  immortality. 

This,  Sir,  is  the  noble '  object  l"  prefent  to 
your  view  ;  and  yoa  will,  I  hope,  fix  your  eye 
eontinually  upon  it^  and  will  never  allow  you*- 
felf  for  one  day  to  forget,  that  this  illuflrious 
man  is  Colonel  Gardiner,  your  ever  hon- 
oured father  ;  who  having  approved  his  fidelity 
to  the  death  and  received  a  crown  of  life,  feems  as 
it  were,  by  what  you  here  read,  to  be  calling  out 
to  you  from  amidfl  the  cloud  of  witneffes  with 
which  you  are  furrounded,  and  urging  you  by 

cverv 


DEDICATION. 

every  generous,  tender,  filial  fehtiment,  to  mark 
the  footfteps  of  his  Christian  race,  and  lirenu- 
oufty  to  maintain  that  combat,  where  the  victory 
is  through  divine  grace  certain,  and  the  prize 
an  eternal  kingdom  in  the  Heavens," 

My  hopes,  Sir,  that  all  thefe  powerful  motives 
wyil  efpecially  have   their  full   efficacy  on   you, 
are  greatly  encouraged  by  the  certainty  which  I 
have  of   your   being  well   acquainted    with  the 
evidence  of  ChrUlianity  in    its  full    extent;    a 
criminal  ignorance  of  which,   in   the    mtdit    of 
great  advantages  for  learning  them,  leaves  fo  ma- 
ny of  our  young  people  a  prey  to  Deifm,  and  fo 
to  vice  and  ruin,   which   generally  bring   up  its 
rear.     My  life*  would  be  a  continual  burthen  to- 
me,   if  I  had  not  a   confeioufnefs  in  the  fight  of 
God,  that  during  the  years  in  which  the  import- 
ant truft  of  your  education  was  committed  to  my 
•care,  I   had  laid  before  you   th^    proofs  both  of 
natural  and  revealed  religion,  in  .what  I  aiTured- 
ly  efteem  to  be,  with  regard  to  the.  Judgment,  if 
they  are  carefully  examined,  an  irreli  liable  light: 
and  that  I  had  endeavoured  to  attend  them  with- 
thofe  addreiles,  which  might  be    mofi   likely  to 
imprefs    your  heart.      You  have  not$   dear  Sir. 
forgotten,  and  I  am  confident  you  can  never  en- 
tirely forget,  the  afliduity  with  which  I  have  la- 
boured to    form  your   mind,   not  only   to  what 

might 


DED1  CATION. 

might  be  ornamental  to  y«u  in  human  life,  b*t 
above  all,  to  a  true  tafte  of  what  is  really  excel- 
lent, and  an  early  contempt  of  thofe  vanities  by 
which  the  generality  of  our  youth,  efpecially  in 
your  flation,  are  debafed,  enervated,  and  undone* 
My  private,  as  well  as  publick  addrefles  for  this 
purpofe  will,  I  know,  -lie  remembered  by  you, 
and  the  tears  of  tendernefs  with  which  they  have 
fo.pften  been  accompanied  :  And  may  they  be 
fo  remembered,  that  they  who  are  moft  tenderly 
concerned,  may  be  comforted  under  the  lofs  of 
fuch  an  ineftimable  friend  as  Colonel  Gardi- 
ner, by  feeing  that  his  character,  in  all  its  mod 
amiable  and  refplendent  parts,  lives  in  you  ;  and 
that  how  difficult  foever  it  may  be  to  a£fc  up  to 
that  height  of  expectation,  with  which  the  eves 
of  the  world  will  be  fixed  on  the  fon  of  fuch  a 
father,  you  are,  in  the  flrength  of  diving  grace 
attempting  it ;  at  lead  are  following  him  with 
generous  emulation,  and  with  daily  folicitude, 
that  the  fleps  may  be  lefs  unequal  ! 

May  the  Lord  God  of  your  Father,  and  I  will 
add,  of  both  your  .pious  and  honourable  parents, 
animate  your  heart  more  and  more  with  fuch 
views ^and  fentiments  as  thefe  !  May  he  guard 
your  life  amid  ft  every  fcene  of  danger,  to  be  a 
prote&ion  and  bl effing  to  thofe  that  are  yet  un. 
fc>orn;  and  may  he  give  you,  in  fome  far  diftant 

period 


D  E  J)I  CATION. 

^period  of  time,  to  re/ign  it  by  a  gentler  drtTola- 
tion  than  the  hero  from  whom  you  fprung,  or  if 
unerring  wifdom  appoint  otherwife,  to  end  it 
*with  equal  glory  J 

I  an, 

Dear  Sir, 

Your  ever  faithful, 

Affe&ionate  friend,  and 

Obliged  humble -ferv ant, 

P.    DODDRIDGE. 


JffirthamjUcn,  July  i,  1747. 


S  O  M  k 


OF    THE 

Hon.  Col.  JAMES  GARDINER. 


WHEN  I  promifed  the  public  fomc 
larger  account  of  the  life  and  char- 
acter of  this  illuftrious  perfon,  than  I  could 
conveniently  infert  in  my  fermon  on  the 
fad  occafion  of  his  death,  I  was  fecure,  that 
if  Providence  continued  my  capacity  of 
writing,  I  fhould  not  wholly  difappoint  the 
expe&ation.  For  I  was  furnifhed  with  a 
variety  of  particulars,  which  appeared  tome 
worthy  of  general  notice,  in  confequence  of 
that  intimate  friendfhip  with  which  he  had 
honored  me  during  the  fix  laft  years  of  his  « 
life  ;  a  friendfhip  which  led  him  to  open 
B  his 


14       LIFE  of  Col,  GARDINER. 

his  heart  to  me  in  repeated  converfations, 
with  an  unbounded  confidence,  (as  he  then 
affured  me,  beyond  what  he  had  ufed  with 
any  other  man  living)  fo  far  as  religious  ex- 
periences were  concerned  :  And  I  had  alfo 
received  feveral  very  valuable  letters  from 
him,  during  the  time  of  our  abfence  from 
each  other,  which  contained  moft  genuine 
and  edifying  traces  of  his  Chriftian  charac- 
ter. But  I  hoped  farther  to  learn  many 
valuable  particulars  from  the  papers  of  his 
own  clofet  ;  and  from  his  letters  to  other 
friends,  as  well  as  from  what  they  more  cir- 
cumftantially  knew  concerning  him  :  1 
therefore  determined  to  delay  the  execution 
of  my  promife,  till  I  could  enjoy  thefe  ad- 
vantages for  performing  it  in  the  moft  fatis- 
faflory  manner.;  nor  have  I,  on  the  whole, 
reafon  to  regret  that  determination. 

I  (hall  not  trouble  the  reader  with  all  the 
caufes  which  concurred  to  hinder  thefe  exi- 
pe£led  affiftances  for  almoft  a  whole  year  : 
the  chief  of  them  were  the  tedious  languifh- 
ing  illnefs  of  his  affii&ed  lady,  through  whofe 
hands  it  was  proper  the  papers  fhould  pafs$ 
together  with  the  confufion  into  which  the 
rebels  had  thrown  them,  when  thev  ranfack- 
ed  his  feat  at  Bankton,  where  moft  of  them 
were  depofited.     But  having  now  received 

fuch 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       15 

fuch  of  them  as  have  efcaped  their  voracious 
hands,  and  could  conveniently  be  colleQed 
and  tranfmitted,  I  fet  myfelf  with  the  great- 
eft  pleafure  to  perform,  what  I  efteem,  not 
merely  a  tribute  of  gratitude  to  the  memory 
of  my  invaluable  friend,  (though  never  was 
the  memory  of  any  mortal  man  more  prec- 
ious and  facred  to  me)  but  of  duty  to  God, 
and  to  my  fellow  creatures  :  for  1  have  a 
mod  cheerful  hope,  that  the  narrative  I  am 
now  to  write,  will,  under  the  divine  bleffing, 
be  a  means  of  fpreading,  what  of  all  things 
in  the  world  every  benevolent  heart  will 
mod  defire  to  fpread,  a  warm  and  lively 
fenfe  of  religion. 

My  own  heart  has  been  fo  much  edified 
and  animated,  by  what  I  have  read  in  the 
memoirs  of  perfons  who  have  been  eminent 
for  wifdom  and  piety,  that  I  cannot  but  wifh 
the  treafure  may  be  more  and  more  increaf- 
ed  :  and  I  would  hope,  the  world  may  gather 
the  like  valuable  fruits  from  the  Life  I  am 
now  attempting  ;  not  only  as  it  will  contain 
very  Angular  circumftances,  which  may  ex- 
cite a  general  curiofity,  but  as  it  comes  at- 
tended with  fome  other  particular  advan- 
tages. 

The  reader  is  here  to  furvey  a  chara£ier 
of  fuch  eminent  and  various  goodnefs,  as 

might 


i6       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

might  demand  veneration,  and  infpire  him 
with  a  defire  to  imitate  it  too,  had  it  appear- 
ed in  the  obfcureft  rank  :  but  it  will  furely 
command  fome  particular  regard,  when 
viewed  ift  fo  olevated  and  important  a  fta- 
tion  ;  efpecially  as  it  (hone,  not  in  ecclefiaf- 
tical,  but  military  life,  where  the  temptations 
are  fo  many,  and  the  prevalency  of  the  con- 
trary character  fo  great,  that  it  may  feem  no 
inconfiderabie  praife  and  felicity  to  be  free 
from  diflfolute  vice,  and  to  retain  what  in 
mod  other  profeflions  might  be  efteemed 
only  a  mediocrity  of  virtue.  It  may  furely 
with  the  highefl  judice  be  expe&ed,  that 
the  title  and  bravery  of  Colonel  Gardiner 
will  invite  many  of  our  officers  and  foldiers, 
to  whom  his  name  has  been  long  honorable 
and  dear,  to  perufe  this  account  of  him  with 
fome  peculiar  attention  :  in  conference  of 
which,  it  may  be  a  means  of  increafing  the 
number,  and  brightening  the  charafter,  of 
thofe  who  are  already  adorning  their  office, 
their  country,  and  their  religion  ;  and  of  re- 
claiming thofe,  who  will  fee  rather  what  they 
ought  to  be,  than  what  they  are.  On  the 
whole,  to  the  gentlemen  of  the  [word  I  would 
particularly  offer  thefe  memoirs,  as  theirs  by 
fo  diftinguiihed  a  title  :  yet  I  am  firmly 
perfuaded  there  are  none  whofe  office  is  fo 

facred 


LIFE  or  Col.  GARDINER.       17 

facred,  or  whofe  proficiency  in  the  religious 
life  is  fo  advanced,  but  they  may  find  fome- 
thing  to  demand  their  thankfulnefs,  and  to 
awaken  their  emulation. 

Col.  James  Gardiner,  of  whom  we  write, 
was  the  fon  of  Capt.  Patrick  Gardiner,  of 
the  family  of  Torwood-head,  by  Mrs.  Mary 
Hodge,  of  the  family  of  Gladfmuir.  The 
Captain,  who  was  mailer  of  a  handfome  ef- 
tate,  ferved  many  years  in  the  army  of  King 
William  and  Queen  Anne,  and  died  abroad 
with  the  Britilh  forces  in  Germany,  quickly 
after  the  battle  of  Hochftet,  through  the  fa- 
tigues he  underwent  in  the  duties  of  that 
celebrated  campaign^  He  had  a  company 
in  the  regiment  of  foot,  once  commanded  by 
Colonel  Hodge,  his  valiant  brother  in  law, 
who  was  flain  at  the  head  of  that  regiment, 
my  memorial  from  Scotland  fays,  at  the 
battle  of  Steenkirk,  which  was  faught  in  the 
year  1692. 

Mrs.  Gardiner,  our  Colonel's  mother,  was 
a  lady  of  a  very  valuable  chai  after  ;  but  it 
plea  fed  God  to  exercife  her  with  very  un- 
common trials  :  for  fhe  not  only  loft  her 
hufband  and  her  brother  in  the  fervice  of 
their  country,  as  before  related,  but  alfoher 
eldeft  fon,  Mr.  Robert  Gardiner,  on  the  day 
which  completed  the  fixteenth  year  of  his 
B  2  age, 


i8       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

age,  at  the  fiege  of  Namur,  in  1695.  But 
there  is  reafon  to  believe,  God  bleffed  thefe 
various  and  heavy  affli6tions,  as  the  means 
of  forming  her  to  that  eminent  degree  of 
piety,  which  will  render  her  memory  hon- 
orable as  long  as  it  continues. 

Her  fecond  fon,  the  worthy  perfon  of 
whom  I  am  now  to  give  a  more  particular 
account,  was  born  at  Garriden  in  Linlith- 
gowfliire,  on  the  10th  of  January,  A.  D. 
1687^8,  the  memorable  year  of  that  glori- 
ous Revolution,  which  he  juft<y  efteemed 
among  the  happieft  of  all  events.  So  that 
when  he  was  flain  in  the  defence  of  thofe 
liberties,  which  God  then  by  fo  gracious  a 
providence  refcued  from  utter  deftru&ion, 
i.  e.  on  the  21ft  of  September,  1745,  he  was 
aged  57  years,  8  months,  and  11  days. 

The  annual  return  of  his  birth  day  was 
obferved  by  him,  in  the  latter  and  better 
years  of  his  life,  in  a  manner  very  different 
from  what  is  commonly  pra6tifed  :  For  in- 
ftead  of  making  it  a  day  of  feftivity,  I  am 
told,  he  rather  diftinguiftied  it  as  a  feafon  of 
more  than  ordinary  humiliation  before  God; 
both  in  commemoration  of  thofe  mercies 
which  he  received  in  the  firft  opening  of 
life,  and  under  an  affeftionate  fenfe,  as  well 
of  his  long  alienation  from  the  Great  Au- 
thor 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       19 

thor  and  fupport  of  his  being,  as  of  the  many 
imperfe&ions  which  he  lamented,  in  the  beft 
of  his  days  and  fervices. 

I  have  not  met  with  many  things  remark- 
able concerning  the  early  years  of  his  life, 
only  that  his  mother  took  care  to  inftru6i 
him,  with  great  tendernefs  and  affeftion,  in 
the  principles  of  true  chriftianity.  He  was 
alfo  trained  up  in  human  literature  at  the 
fchool  at  Linlithgow,  where  he  made  a  very 
confiderable  progrefs  in  the  languages.  I 
remember  to  have  heard  him  quote  fome 
paffages  of  the  Latin  claffics  very  pertinent- 
ly ;  though  his  employment  in  life,  and  the 
various  turns  which  his  mind  took  under 
different  impulfes  in  fucceeding  years,  pre- 
vented him  from  cultivating  fuch  ftudies. 

The  good  effe&s  of  his  mother's  prudent 
and  exemplary  care  were  not  fo  confpicuous 
as  fhe  wifhed  and  hoped,  in  the  younger 
part  of  her  fon's  life  ;  yet  there  is  great  rea- 
fon  to  believe,  they  were  not  entirely  loft, 
As  they  were  probably  the  occafion  of  many 
conviftions,  which  in  his  younger  years 
were  overborne  ;  fo  I  doubt  not,  that  when 
religious  impreffions  took  that  ftrong  hold 
of  his  heart,  which  they  afterwards  did,  that 
ftock  of  knowledge  which  had  been  fo  early 
laid  up  in  his  rnind^  was  found  of  confider- 
able 


so       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

able  fervice.  And  I  have  heard  them  make 
the  obfervation,  as  an  encouragement  to  pa- 
rents, and  other  pious  friends,  to  do  their 
duty,  and  to  hope  for  thofe  good  conse- 
quences of  it  which  may  not  immediately 
appear. 

Could  his  mother,  or  a  very  religious  aunt 
(of  whofe  good  inftru&ions  and  exhortations 
I  have  often  heard  him  fpeak  with  pleafure) 
have  prevailed,  he  would  not  have  thought 
of  a  military  life  ;  from  which,  it  is  no  won- 
der, thefe  ladies  endeavoured  to  diffuade 
him,  confidering  the  mournful  experience 
they  had  of  the  dangers  attending  itr  and 
the  dear  relatives  they  had  loft  already  by 
it.  But  it  fuited  his  tafte  ;  and  the  ardour 
of  his  fpirit,  animated  by  the  perfuafions  of 
a  friend  who  greatly  urged  it,*  was  not  to  be 
reftrained.  Nor  will  the  reader  wonder, 
that  thus  excited  and  fupported,  it  eafily 
overbore  their  tender  rem  on  (trances,  when 
he  knows,  that  this  lively  youth  faught  three 
duels  before  he  attained  to  the  ftature  of  a 
man  ;  in  one  of  which,  when  he  was  but 
eight  years  old,  he  received  from  a  boy  much 
older  than  himfelf,  a  wound  in  his  right 
cheek,  the  fear  of  which  was  always  very  ap- 
parent. 

*  I  fuppofe  this  to  have  been  General  Rue,  who  had 
from  his  childhood  a  peculiar  affection  tor  him. 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       21 

parent.  The  falfe  fenfe  of  honor  which  in- 
ftigated  him  to  it,  might  feem  indeed  fome- 
thing  excufeable,  in  thofe  unripened  years, 
and  confidering  the  profeflion  of  his  father, 
brother,  and  uncle ;  but  I  have  often  heard 
hkn  mention  this  rafhnefs  with  that  regret 
which  the  refle&ion  would  naturally  give  to 
fo  wife  and  good  a  man  in  the  maturity  of 
life.  And  I  have  been  informed,  that  after 
his  remarkable  converfion,  he  declined  ac- 
cepting a  challenge,  with  this  calm  and  truly 
great  reply,  which  in  a  man  of  his  experi- 
enced bravery  was  exceeding  graceful  :  "  I 
fear  finning,  though  you  know  I  do  not  fear 
fighting." 

He  ferved  firft  as  a  Cadet,  which  muft 
have  been  very  early  ;  and  then,  at  14  years 
old,  he  bore  an  Enfign's  commiflion  in  a 
Scots  regiment  in  the  Dutch  fervice  ;  in 
which  he  continued  till  the  year  1702,  when 
(if  my  information  be  right)  he  received  an 
Enfign's  commiflion  from  Queen  Anne, 
which  he  bore  in  the  battle  of  Ramillies, 
being  then  in  the  19th  year  of  his  age.  In 
this  ever  memorable  a6lion,  he  received  a 
wound  in  his  mouth  by  a  mufket  ball,  which 
hath  often  been  reported  to  be  the  occafion 
of  his  converfion.  That  report  was  a  mis- 
taken one  ;    but  as  fome  very  remarkable 

circumftances 


!22       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

circumftances  attended  this  affair,  which  I 
have  had  the  pleafure  of  hearing  more  than 
once  from  his  own  mouth,  I  hope  my  reader 
will  excufe  me,  if  I  give  him  fo  uncommon 
a  ftory  at  large. 

Our  young  officer  was  of  a  party  in  the 
Forlorn  Hope,    and   was   commanded    on 
what  feemed  almoft  a  defperate   fervice,  to 
difpoffefs  the  French  of  the  church  yard  at 
Ramillies,  where  a  confiderablc  number  of 
them  were  pofted  to  remarkable  advantage. 
They  fucceeded   much  better  than  was  ex- 
pefted  ;  and  it  may  be  well  fuppofed,   that 
Mr.    Gardiner,   who    had    before   been   in 
feveral   encounters,   and    had    the    view  of 
making  his  fortune,  to  animate  the  natural 
intrepidity  of  his  fpirit,  was  glad  of  fuch  an 
opportunity    of   fignalizing    himfelf.      Ac- 
cordingly he  had  planted  his   colours  on  an 
advanced  ground  ;  and  while  he  was  calling 
to  his  men,  (probably  in   that  horrid  Lin* 
guage  which  is  fo  peculiar  a  difgrace  to  our 
loldiery,  and  fo  abfurdly  common   in    fuch 
articles  of  extreme   danger)  he    received   a 
fhot  into  his  mouth  ;  which,  without   beat- 
ing out  any  of  his    teeth,  or   touching   the 
fore  part  of  his  tongue,  went   through   his 
neck,  and  came  out  about  an   inch   and   an 
half  on  the  left  fide  of  the   vertebra.     Not 

feeling 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       23 

feeling,  at  firft,  the  pain  of  the  ftroke,  he 
wondered  what  was  become  of  the  ball,  and 
in  the  wildnefs  of  his  furprize,  began  to  iuf- 
pe£t  he  had  fwallowed  it ;  but  dropping 
ibon  after,  he  traced  the  paffage  of  it  by  his 
finger,  when  he  could  difcover  it  no  other 
way  ;  which  I  mention  as  one  circumftance 
among  many  which  occur,  to  make  it  pro- 
bable that  the  greater  part  of  thofe  who  fall 
in  battle  by  thefe  inftruments  of  death,  feel 
very  little  anguifh  from  the  moft  mortal 
wounds. 

This  accident  happened  about  fire  or  fix 
in  the  evening,  on  the  23d  day  of  May,  in 
the  year  1706  ;  and  the  army  purfuing  its 
advantages  againfl  the  French,  without  ever 
regarding  the  wounded,  (which  was,  it 
■feems,  the  Duke  of  Marlborough's  con  ft  ant 
method)  our  young  officer  lay  all  night  in 
the  field,  agitated,  as  well  may  be  fuppofed, 
with  a  great  variety  of  thoughts.  He  affur- 
«d  me,  that  when  he  reflefted  upon  the  cir- 
cumftances  of  his  wound,  that  a  bvllfhould, 
as  he  then  conceived  if,  go  through  his  head 
without  killing  him,  he  thought  Cod  had 
preserved  him  by  miracle  ;  and  therefore 
afluredly  concluded  that  he  fhould  live, 
abandoned  and  defperat^  as  his  ftate  then 
feemed  to  be.     Yet,  which  to  me  appeared 

very 


24       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

very  aflonifhing  he  had  little  thoughts  of 
humbling  himfelf  before  God,  and  return- 
ing to  him  after  the  wanderings  of  a  life  fo 
licentioufly  begun.  But  expe&ing  to  re- 
cover, his  mind  was  taken  up  with  contriv- 
ances to  fecure  his  gold,  of  which  he  had  a 
pretty  deal  about  him  ;  and  he  had  recourfe 
to  a  very  odd  expedient,  which  proved  fuc- 
cefsful.  Expe6ling  to  be  (tripped,  he  firft 
took  out  a  handful  of  that  clotted  gore,  of 
which  he  was  freequently  obliged  to  clear 
his  mouth,  or  he  would  have  been  choaked  ; 
and  putting  it  into  his  left  hand,  he  took 
out  his  money,  (which  I  think,  was  about 
19  piftoles)  and  (hutting  his  hand,  and  bef- 
tnearing  the  back  part  of  it  with  blood,  he 
kept  it  in  this  pofition  till  the  blood  dried 
in  fuch  a  manner  that  his  hand  could  not 
eafily  fall  open,  though  any  fudden  furprize 
fhould  happen,  in  which  he  might  lofe 
the  prefence  of  mind  which  that  conceal- 
ment otherwife  would  have  required. 

In  the  morning  the  French,  who  were 
matters  of  that  fpot,  though  their  forces 
were  defeated  at  fome  diftance,  came  to 
plunder  the  (lain  ;  and  feeing  him  to  ap- 
pearance aimoft  expiring,  one  of  them  was 
juft  applying  a  fword  to  his  bread,  to  def- 
troy  the  little  remainder  of  life  ;  when  in 

the 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       25 

the  critical  moment,  upon  which  all  the  ex- 
traordinary events  of  fuch  a  life  as  his  after- 
wards proved  were  fufpended,  a  cordelier, 
who  attended  the  plunderers,  interpofed, 
taking  him  by  his  drefs  for  a  Frenchman  ; 
and  faid,  "  Do  not  kill  that  poor  child." 
Our  young  foldier  heard  all  that  palled, 
though  he  was  not  able  to  fpeak  one  word  ; 
and  opening  his  eyes,  made  a  fign  for  fome- 
thing  to  drink.  They  gave  him  a  fup  of 
fome  fpirituous  liquor,  which  happened  to 
be  at  hand  ;  by  which  he  faid  he  found  a 
more  fenfible  refrefhment,  than  he  could 
remember  from  any  thing  he  had  tailed  ei- 
ther before  or  fince.  Then  figning  to  the 
Friar  to  lean  down  his  ear  to  his  mouth,  he 
employed  the  firft  efforts  of  his  feeble  breath 
in  telling  him,  (what,  alas  !  was  a  contrived 
falfehood)  that  he  was  nephew  to  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Huy,  a  neutral  town  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  that,  if  he  could  take  any 
method  of  conveying  him  thither,  he  did 
not  doubt  but  his  uncle  would  liberally  re- 
•ward  him.  He  had  indeed  a  friend  at 
Huy,  (who  I  think  was  Governor,  and  if  I 
miftake  not,  had  been  acquainted  with  the 
Captain  his  father)  from  whom  he  expeft- 
ed  a  kind  reception  ;  but  the  relation  was 
only  pretended.  On  hearing  this,  they 
laid  him  on  a  fort  of  hand  barrow,  and  fent 
C  him 


26       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

him  by  a  file  of  mufqueteers  towards  the 
place  ;  but  the  men  loft  their  way,  and  got 
into  a  wood  towards  the  evening,  in  which 
they  were  obliged  to  continue  all  night. 
The  poor  patient's  wound  being  (till  un- 
dreffed,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  that  by 
this  time  it  raged  violently.  The  anguifh 
of  it  engaged  him  earneftly  to  beg,  that  they 
would  either  kill  him  outright,  or  leave  him 
there  to  die,  without  the  torture  of  any  far- 
ther motion  ;  and  indeed  they  were  obliged 
to  reft  for  a  confiderable  time,  on  account 
of  their  own  wearinefs.  Thus  he  fpent  the 
fecond  night  in  the  open  air,  without  any 
thing  more  than  a  common  bandage  to 
flanch  the  blood.  He  hath  often  mention- 
ed it  as  a  moft  aftoniflhing  providence,  that 
he  did  not  bleed  to  death  ;  which,  under 
God,  he  afcribed  to  the  remarkable  coldnefs 
of  thefe  two  nights. 

Judging  it  quite  unfafe  to  attempt  carry- 
ing him  to  Huy,  from  whence  they  were 
now  feveral  miles  diftant,  his  convoy  took 
him  early  in  the  morning  to  a  convent  in. 
the  neighborhood  ;  where  he  was  hofpitably 
received,  and  treated  with  great  kindnefs  and 
tendernefs.  But  the  cure  of  his  wround  was 
committed  to  an  ignorant  barber  furgeon, 
who  lived  near  the  houfe  ;  the  beft  fhift  that, 
could  then  be  made,  at  a  time  when  it  may 

eafily 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       27 

eafily  be  fuppofed  perfons  of  ability  in  their 
profeffion  had  their  hands  full  of  employ- 
ment. Thp  tent  which  this  artift  applied, 
was  almoft  like  a  peg  driven  into  the  wound ; 
and  gentlemen  of  (kill  and  experience,  when 
they  came  to  hear  of  the  manner  in  which 
he  was  treated,  wondered  how  he  could 
poffibly  furvive  fuch  management.  But  by 
the  bleffing  of  God  on  thefe  applications, 
rough  as  they  wrere,  he  recovered  in  a  few 
months.  The  Lady  Abbefs,  who  called 
him  her  fon,  treated  him  with  the  affe&ion 
and  care  of  a  mother  ;  and  he  always  de- 
clared, that  every  thing  which  he  faw  within 
thefe  walls,  was  conduced  with  the  flricteft 
decency  and  decorum.  He  received  a  great 
mr^y  devest  admonitions  from  the  ladies 
there  ;  and  they  would  fain  have  perfuaded 
him  to  acknowledge  what  they  thought  fo 
miraculous  a  deliverance,  by  embracing  the 
Catholic  faith,  as  they  were  pleafed  to  call 
it.  But  thev  could  not  fucceed  :  for  though 
no  religion  lay  near  his  heart,  yet  he  had 
too  much  of  the  fpirit  of  a  gentleman,  light- 
ly to  change  that  form  of  religion  which  he 
wore,  as  it  were  loofe  about  him  ;  as  well  as 
too  much  good  fenfe,  to  fwallow  thofe  mon- 
ftrous  abfurdities  of  popery,  which  imme- 
diately prefented  themfelves  to  him,  unac- 
quainted 


18       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

quainted  as  he  was' with  the  niceties  of  the 
controverfv. 

When  his  liberty  was  regained  by  an  ex- 
change of  prifoners,  and  his  health  thor- 
oughly eftablifhed,  he  was  far  from  render- 
ing unto  the  Lord,  according  to  that  wonder- 
ful difplay  of  divine  mercy  which  he  had 
experienced.  I  know  very  little  of  the  par- 
ticulars *  of  thofe  wild,  thoughtlefs,  and 
wretched  years,  which  lay  between  the 
nineteenth  and  the  thirtieth  of  his  life  ;  ex- 
cept it  be,  that  he  frequently  experienced 
the  divide  goodnefs  in  renewed  inftances, 
particularly  in  preferving  him. in  feveral  hot 
military  actions,  in  all  which  he  never  re- 
ceived fo  much  as  a  wound  after  this,  for- 
ward as  he  was  in  tempting  danger ;  and 
yet,  that  all  thefe  years  were  fpent  in  an  en- 
tire alienation  from  God,  and  an  eager  pur- 
fuit  of  animal  pleafure,  as  his  fupreme  good. 
The  feries  of  criminal  amours,  in  which  he 
was  almoft  inceffantiy  engaged  during  this 
time,  muft  probably  have  afforded  fome  re- 
markable adventures  and  occurrences  ;  but 
the  memory  of  them  is  perifhed.  Nor  do 
I  think  it  unworthy  notice  here,  that  amidft 
all  the  intimacy  of  our  friendfhip,  and  the. 
many  hours  of  cheerful  as  well  as  ferious 
converfe  which  we  fpent  together,  I  never 
remember  to  have  heard  him  fpeak  of  any 

of 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       29 

of  thefe  intrigues,  otherwife  than  in  the  gen- 
eral, with  deep  and  folemn  abhorrence. 
This  I  the  rather  mention,  as  it  feemed  a 
moft  genuine- proof  of  his  unfeigned  repent- 
ance ;  which  I  think  there  is  great  reafon  to 
fufpeft,  when  people  feem  to  take  a  pleas- 
ure in  relating  and  defcribing  fcenes  of  vic- 
ious indulgence,  which  yet  they  profefs  to 
have  difapproved  and  forfaken. 

Amidfl  all  thefe  pernicious  wanderings 
from  the  paths  of  religion,  virtue,  and  hap- 
pinefs,  he  approved  himfelf  fo  well  in  his 
military  charafter,  that  he  was  made  a  Lieu- 
tenant in  that  year,  viz.  1706  :  And  I  am 
told,  he  was  very  quickly  after  promoted  to 
a  Cornet's  commiffion  in  Lord  Stair's  regi- 
ment of  the  Scots  Greys  ;  and  on  the  3 1  ft  of 
January,  17  14-15,  was  made  Captain-Lieu- 
tenant in  Col.  Ker's  regiment  of  dragoons. 
He  had  the  honor  of  being  known  to  the 
Earl  of  Stair  fome  time  before,  and  was  made 
his  Aid  de  Camp  ;  and  when,  upon  his 
Lordfhip's  being  appointed  Ambaffador 
from  his  late  Majefty  to  the  court  of  France, 
he  made  fo  fplendid  an  entrance  into  Paris, 
Capt.  Gardiner  was  his  mafter  of  the  horfe  ; 
and  I  have  been  told  that  a  great  deal  of  the 
care  of  that  admirably  well  adjufted  cere- 
mony fell  upon  him  ;  fo  that  he  gained 
great  credit  by  the  manner  in  which  he  con- 
C  2  dufted 


30       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

dufted  it.  Under  the  benign  influences  of 
his  Lordfhip's  favour,  a  Captain's  commiff- 
ion  was  procured  for  him,  dated  July  2  2d, 
1715,  in  the  regiment  of  dragoons  com- 
manded by  Col.  Stanhope,  (now  Earl  of 
Harrington)  and,  in  the  year  1717,  he  was 
advanced  to  the  majority  of  that  regiment  ; 
in  which  office  he  continued  till  it  was  re- 
duced, on  Nov.  10th,  1718  ;  when  he  was 
put  out  of  commiflion.  But  then  his  Ma- 
jefty  George  I.  was  fo  thoroughly  apprifed 
of  his  faithful  and  important  fervices,  that 
he  gave  him  his  fign  manual,  entitling  him 
to  the  firft  majority  that  fhould  become  va- 
cant in  any  regiment  of  horfe  or  dragoons, 
which  happened  about  five  years  after,  to 
be  in  Croft's  regiment  of  dragoons,  in  which 
he  received  a  commiflion,  dated  June  lft, 
1724 ;  and  on  the  20th  of  July  the  fame  year, 
he  was  made  a  Major  of  an  older  regiment, 
commanded  by  the  Earl  of  Stair. 

As  I  am  now  fpeaking  of  fo  many  of  his 
military  preferments,  I  will  difpatch  the  ac- 
count of  them  by  observing,  that  on  the  24th 
of  January,  1729-30,  he  was  advanced  to 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  in  the  fame 
regiment,  long  under  the  command  of  Lord 
Cadogan  ;  with  whofe  friendfhip  this  brave, 
and  vigilant  officer  was  alfo  honoured  for 
many   years.       And  he  continued  in  this 

rank 


,  LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       31 

rank,  and  regiment,  till  the  19th  of  April, 
1743,  when  he  received  a  Colonel's  commif- 
fion  over  a  regimentof  dragoons,  lately  com- 
manded by  Brigadier  Bland ;  at  the  head 
of  which  hevaliantly  fell,  in  the  defence  of 
his  Sovereign  and  his  country,  about  two 
years  and  a  half  after  he  received  it. 

We  will  now  return  to  that  period  of  his 
life  which  paffed  at  Paris,  the  fcene  of  fuch 
remarkable  and  important  events.    He  con- 
tinued (if  I   remember  right)   feveral   years 
under  the  roof  of  the   brave    and  generous 
Earl  of  Stair  ;  to  whom  he  endeavoured  to 
approve  himfelf  by  every  inftance  of  diligent 
and  faithful  fervice.     And  his  lordfhip  gave 
no  inconfiderable  proof  of  the  dependence 
which  he  had  upon  him,  when,  in   the   be- 
ginning of  the  year  1715,  he  entrufted  him 
with  the  important  dilpatches,  relating   to  a 
difcovery,  which,  by  a  feries  of  admirable 
policy,  he  had  made,  of  a  defign  which  the 
French  King  was  then  forming,  for  invading 
Great  Britain  in  favour  of  the   Pretender  ; 
in   which    the   French    apprehended  they 
were  fo  fecure  of  fuccefs,   that  it   feemed  a 
point  offriendfhip  in  one  of  the  chief  coun- 
fellors  of  that  court,  to  diffuade  a  dependant 
of  his  from  accepting  fome  employment  un- 
der his  Britannic  Majefty,  when  propofed 
by  his  envoy  there ;  becaufe  it  was  faid,  that 

in 


32       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

in  lefs  than  fix  weeks  there  would  be  a  rev- 
olution, in  favour  of  what  they  called  the 
family  of  the  .Stuarts.  The  Captain  dif- 
patched  his  journey  with  the  utmoft  fpeed  ; 
a  variety  of  circum fiances  happily  concur- 
red to  accelerate  it ;  and  they,  who  remem- 
ber how  foon  the  regiments  which  that  e- 
mergency  required  were  raifed  and  armed, 
will,  I  doubt  not,  efteem  it  a  memorable  in- 
fiance,  both  of  the  mod  cordial  zeal  in  the 
friends  of  the  government,  and  of  the  grac- 
ious care  of  Divine  Providence,  over  the 
houfe  of  Hanover,  and  the  Britifh  liberties, 
fo  infeparably  connefted  with  its  intereft. 

While  Capt.  Gardiner  was  at  London,  in 
one  of  the  journies  he  made  upon  this  occa- 
fion,  he,  with  that  franknefs  which  was  nat- 
ural to  him,  and  which  in  thofe  days  was 
not  always  under  the  mofl  prudent  reftrainf, 
ventured  to  predi£t,  from  what  he  knew  of 
the  bad  (late  of  the  French  King's  health, 
that  he  would  not  live  fix  weeks.  This  was 
made  known  by  fome  fpies  who  were  at  St. 
James's,  and  came  to  be  reported  at  the 
court  of  Verfailles  ;  for  he  received  letters 
from  fome  friends  at  Paris,  advifing  him  not 
to  return  thither,  unlefs  he  could  reconcile 
himfelf  to  a  lodging  in  the  Baftile.  But  he 
was  foon  free  from  that  apprehenfion  ;  for, 
if  I  miftake  not,  before  half  that  time  wawS 

accomplished, 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       33 

accompliftied,  Lewis  XIV.  died  ;*  and,  it  is 
generally  thought,  his  death  was  haftened  by 
a  very  accidental  circumftancc,  which  had 
fome  reference  to  the  Captain's  prophecy. 
For  the  laft  time  he  ever  dined  in  public, 
which  was  a  very  little  while  afte:  the  re- 
port of  it  had  been  made  there,  he  happened 
to  difcover  our  Britifh  Envoy  among  the 
fpediators.  The  penetration  of  this  illuf- 
trious  perfon  was  too  great,  and  his  attach- 
ment to  the  intereft  of  his  royal  mafter  too 
well  known,  not  to  render  him  very  difagree- 
able  to  that  crafty  and  tyrannical  prince, 
whom  God  had  fo  long  fuffered  to  be  the 
difgrace  of  monarchy,  and  the  fcourge  of 
Europe.  He  at  firft  appeared  very  languid, 
as  indeed  he  was  ;  but  on  calling  his  eye 
upon  the  Earl  of  Stair,  he  affe£led  to  appear 
before  him  in  a  much  better  ftate  of  health 
than  he  really  was  ^  and  therefore,  as  if  he 
had  been  awakened  on  a  fudden  from  fome 
deep  reverie,  immediately  put  himfelf  into 
an  eretl  poflure,  called  up  a  laboured  vivac- 
ity into  his  countenance,  and  eat  much  more 
heartily  than  was  by  any  means  advifable, 
repeating  it  two  or  three  times  to  a  noble- 
man then  in  waiting,  c<  Methinks  I  eat  very 
well,  for  a  man  who  is   to  die  fo  foon."f 

But 

*  September  ift,  17 15. 

t  II  me  femble,  que  je  ne  mange  pas  mal  pour  un 
homme  qui  devoit  mourir  fi  tot. 


; 


34       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

But  this  inroad  upon  that  regularity  of  liv- 
ing, which  he  had  for  fome  time  obferved, 
agreed  fo  ill  with  him,  that  he  never  recov- 
ered this  meal,  but  died  in  lefs  than  a  fort- 
night. This  gave  occafion  for  fome  humor- 
ous people  to  fay,  that  old  Lewis,  after  all, 
was  killed  by  a  Briton.  But  if  this  ftory  be 
tv\xey  which  I  think  there  can  be  no  room  to 
doubt,  as  the  Colonel,  from  whom  I  have 
often  heard  it,  though  abfent,  could  fcarce 
be  milinformed)  it  might  more  properly  be 
Xaid,  that  he  fell  by  his  own  vanity  ;  in  which 
view  I  thought  it  fo  remarkable,  as  not  to  be 
unworthy  a  place  in  thefe  memoirs. 

The  Captain  quickly  returned,  and  con- 
tinued with  frnali  interruptions  at  Paris,  at 
leaft  till  the  year  1720,  and  how  much  longer 
I  do  not  certainly  knofr.  -  The  Earl's  fa- 
vour and  generofity  made  him  eafy  in  his 
affairs,  though  he  was,  as  has  been  obferved 
before,  part  of  the  time  out  of  commiffiop, 
by  breaking  the  regiment  to  which  he  be- 
longed, of  which  before  he  was  ivlajor.  This 
was,  in  all  probability,  the  gay  eft  part  of 
his  life,  and  the  mod  criminal.  Whatever 
wile  and  good  examples  he  might  find  in  the 
family  where  he  had  the  honor  to  refide,  it 
&$  certain  that  the  French  court,  during  the 
regency  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  was  one  of 
the  moft  diffblute  under  heaven.     What,  by 

a  wretched 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       35 

a  wretched  abufe  of  language,  have  been 
called  intrigues  of  love  and  gallantry ,  were  fo 
entirely  to  the  Major's  then  degenerate  tafte, 
that  if  not  the  whole  bufinefs,  at  leaft  the 
whole  happmefs  of  his  life  con  fitted  in  them  ; 
and  he  had  now  too  much  leifure,  for  one 
who  was  fo  prone  to  abufe  it.  His  fine 
conftitution,  than  which  perhaps  there  was 
hardly  ever  a  better,  gave  him  great  oppor- 
tunities of  indulging  himfelf  in  thefe  ex- 
cefles  ;  and  his  good  fpirits  enabled  him  to 
purfue  his  pleafures  of  every  kind,  in  fo 
alert  and  fprightly  a  manner,  that  multi- 
tudes envied  him,  and  called  him  by  a  dread- 
ful kind  of  compliment,  the  happy  rake. 

Yet  ftill  the  checks  of  confcience,  and 
fome  remaining  principles  of  fo  good  an  ed- 
ucation, would  break  in  upon  his  mod  li- 
centious hours  ;  and  I  particularly  remem- 
ber he  told  me,  that  when  fome  of  his  diffo- 
kf;e  companions  were  once  congratulating 
him  on  his  diftinguifhed  felicity,  a  dog  hap- 
pening at  that  time  to  come  into  the  room, 
he  could  not  forbear  groaning  inwardly,  and 
faying  to  himfelf,  <c  Oh  that  I  were  that 
dog  !"  Such  then  was  his  happinefs  ;  and 
fuch  perhaps  is  that  of  hundreds  more,  who 
bear  themfelves  higheft  in  the  contempt  of 
religion,  and  glory  in  that  infamous  fervi- 
tude  which  they  affe£t  to  call  liberty.     But 

thefe 


36       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

thefe  remonftrances  of  reafon  and  confcience 
were  in  vain  ;  and,  in  fhort,  he  carried  things 
fo  far,  in  this  wretched  part  of  his  life,  that 
I  am  well  affured,  fome  fober  Englifli  gen- 
tleman, who  made  no  great  pretences  to  re- 
ligion, how  agreeable  foever  he  might  have 
been  to  them  on  other  accounts,  rather  de- 
clined than  fought  his  company,  as  fcaring 
they  might  have  been  infnared  and  corrupt- 
ed by  it. 

Yet  I  cannot  find,  that  in  thefe  mod  a- 
bandoned  days,  he  was  fond  of  drinking. 
Indeed  he  never  had  any  natural  relifh  for 
that  kind  of  intemperance,  from  which  he 
ufed  to  think  a  manly  pride  might  be  fuf- 
ficient  to  preferve  perfons  of  fenfe  and  fpir- 
it :  as  by  it  they  gave  up  every  thing  that 
diftinguifhes  them  from  the  meaneft  of  their 
fpecies,  or  indeed  from  animals  the  mod  be- 
low it.  So  that,  if  he  ever  fell  into  any  ex- 
ceffes  of  this  kind,  it  was  merely  out  of  corfi- 
plaifance  to  his  company,  and  that  he  might 
not  appear  ftiff  and  lingular.  His  frank, 
obliging,  and  generous  temper,  procured 
him  many  friends ;  and  thefe  principles, 
which  rendered  him  amiable  to  others,  not 
being  under  the  dire&ion  of  true  wifdom 
and  piety,  fometimes  made  him,  in  the  ways 
of  living  he  purfued,  more  uneafy  to  him- 
felf,  than  he  might  perhaps  have  been  if  he 

could 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       37 

could  entirely  have  outgrown  them  ;  efpe- 
cially  as  he  was  never  afceptic  in  his  prin- 
ciples, but  ftill  retained  a  fecret  apprehcn- 
fion,  that  natural  and  revealed  religion, 
though  he  did  not  much  care  to  think  of 
either,  were  founded  in  truth.  And  with 
this  convi£iion,  his  notorious  violations  of 
the  moft  effential  precepts  of  both,  could 
not  but  occafion  fome  fecret  mifgivings  of 
heart.  His  continual  negleft  of  the  great 
Author  of  his  being,  of  whofe  perfections 
he  could  not  doubt,  and  to  whom  he  knew 
himfelf  to  be  under  daily  and  perpetual 
obligations,  gave  him,  in  fome  moments  of 
involuntary  refle£tion,inexprefIibleremorfe; 
and  this,  at  times,  wrought  upon  him  to  fuch 
a  degree,  that  he  refolved  he  would  attempt 
to  pay  him  fome  acknowledgments.  Ac- 
cordingly for  a  few  mornings  he  did  it ;  re- 
peating in  retirement  fome  paffages  out  of 
the  Pfalms,  and  perhaps  other  icriptures, 
which  he  ftill  retained  in  his  memory  ;  and 
owning,  in  a  few  ftrong  words,  the  many  mer- 
cies and  deliverances  he  had  received,  and 
the  ill  returns  he  had  made  for  them. 

I  find,  among  the  other  papers  tranfrnit- 
ted  to  me,  the  following  verfes,  which  I  have 
heard  him  repeat,  as  what  had  impreffed 
him  a  good  deal  in  his  unconverted  date  : 
and  as  I  fuppofe  they  did  fomething  towards 
D  fetting 


38       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

fetting  him  on  this  effort  towards  devotion, 
and  might  probably  furnifti  out  a  part  of 
thefe  orifons,  I  hope  I  need  make  no  apol- 
ogy to  my  reader  for  inferting  them,  efpec- 
ially  as  Tdo  not  recolleft  that  I  have  feen 
them  any  where  elfe. 

Attend,  my  foul!  the  early  birds  infpire 
My  grov'ling  thoughts  *vith  pure  celeftial  fire  : 
They  from  their  temp'rate  fleep  awake,  and  pay 
Their  thankful  anthems  for  the  new  born  day. 
See,  how  the  tuneful  lark  is  mounted  high, 
And,  poet  like,  falutes  the  eaftern  fky  ! 
He  warbles  through  the  fragrant  air  his  lays, 
And  feems  the  beauties  of  the  morn  to  praife. 
But  man,  more  void  of  gratitude,  awakes, 
And  gives  no  thanks  for  the  fweet  reft  he  takes  ; 
Looks  on  the  glorious  fun's  new  kindled  flame, 
Without  one  thought  of  him  from  whom  it  came;. 
The  wretch  unhallow'd  does  the  day  begin  ; 
Shakes  off  his  fleep,  but  fhakes  not  off  his  fin. 

But  thefe  drains  were  too  devout  to  con- 
tinue long  in  a  heart  as  yet  quite  unfan£tu 
fied  :  for  how  readily  foever  he  could  re- 
peat fuch  acknowledgments  of  the  divine 
power,  prefence,  and  goodnefs,  and  own  his 
own  follies  and  faults  ;  he  was  ftopt  fhort  by 
the  remonftrances  of  his  conscience,  as  to  the 
flagrant  abfurdity  of  confeffing  (ins  he  did 
not  defire  to  forfake,  and  of  pretending  to 
praife  God  for  his  mercies,  when  he  did  not 

endeavour 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       39 

endeavour  to  live  to  his  fervice,  and  to  be- 
have in  fuch  a  manner  as  gratitude,  if  fin- 
cere,  would  plainly  dictate.  A  model  of 
devotion,  where  fuch  fentiments  made  no 
part,  his  good  fenfe  could  not  digeft  ;  and 
the  ufe  of  fuch  language  before  an  heart 
fearching  God,  merely  as  an  hypocritical 
form,  while  the  feiftiments  of  his  foul  were 
contrary  to  it,  juftly  appeared  to  him  fuch 
daring  profanenefs,  that,  irregular  as  the 
(late  of  his  mind  was,  the  thought  of  it  ftruck 
him  with  horror.  He  therefore  determined 
to  make  no  more  attempts  of  this  fort ;  and 
was  perhaps  one  of  the  firft  that  deliberate- 
ly laid  aiide  prayer,  from  fome  fenfe  of 
God's  omnifcience,  and  fome  natural  prin- 
ciple of  honour  and  confcience. 

Thefe  fecret  debates  with  himfelf,  and  in- 
effeftual  efforts,  would  fometimes  return: 
but  they  were  overborne,  again  and  again, 
by  the  force  of  temptation  ;  and  it  is  no 
wonder,  that  in  confequence  of  them  his 
heart  grew  yet  harder.  Nor  was  it  foften- 
ed,  or  awakened,  by  fome  very  memorable 
deliverances,  which  at  this  time  he  received. 
He  was  in  extreme  danger  by  a  fall  from  his 
horfe,  as  he  was  riding  poft,  (I  think  in  the 
ftreets  of  Calais)  when  going  down  a  hii), 
the  horfe  threw  him  over  his  head,  and 
pitched  over  him  ;  fo  that,  when  he  rofe,  the 

beaft 


40       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

beaft  lay  beyond  him,  and  almoft  dead* 
Yet  though  he  received  not  the  leaft  harm, 
it  made  no  ferious  impreffion  on  his  mind. 
In  his  return  from  England  in  the  packet 
boat,  (if  I  remember  right,  but  a  few  weeks 
after  the  former  accident)  a  violent  ftorm, 
that  drove  them  up  to  Harwich,  toffed  them 
from  thence  for  feveral  hours  in  a  dark 
night,  on  the  coaft  of  Holland>  and  brought 
them  into  fuch  extremity,  that  the  Captain 
of  the  veffei  urged  him  to  go  to  prayers  im- 
mediately, if  he  ever  intended  to  do  it  at 
-all  ;  for  he  concluded,  they  would  in  a  few 
minutes  be  at  the  bottom  of  the  fea.  In 
this  circumftance  he  did  pray,  and  that  very 
fervently  too  :  And  it  was  very  remarkable, 
that  while  he  was  crying  to  God  for  deliv- 
erance, the.  wind  fell,  and  quickly  after  they 
arrived  at  Calais.  But  the  Major  was  fo 
little  affe&ed  with  what  had  befallen  him, 
that  when  fome  of  his  gay  friends,  on  hear- 
ing the  ftory,  rallied  him  upon  the  efficacy 
of  his  prayers,  he  excufed  himfelf  from  the 
fcandal  of  being  thought  much  in  carneft,  by 
faying,  "  that  it  was  at  midnight,  an  hour 
"  when  his  good  mother  and  aunt  were  a- 
"  fleep  ;  or  elfe  he  fhould  have  left  that  part 
cc  of  the  bufinefs  to  them."  A  fpeech  which 
I  fhould  not  have  mentioned,  but  as  it  (hews 
in  fo  lively  a  view  the  wretched  fituation  of 

his 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       41 

his  mind  at  that  time,  though  his  great  de- 
liverance from  the  power  of  darknefs  was 
then  nearly  approaching.  He  recounted 
thefe  things  to  me  with  the  greatefl  humili- 
ty, as  (hewing  how  utterly  unworthy  he  was 
of  that  miracle  of  divine  grace,  by  which  he 
was  quickly  after  brought  to  fo  true,  and  fo 
prevalent  a  fenfe  of  religion. 

And  now  1  am  come  to  that  aftonifhing 
part  of  his  (lory,  the  account  of  his  conver* 
Jion ;  which  I  cannot  enter  upon  without 
affuring  the  reader,  that  I  have  fometimes 
been  tempted  to  fupprefs  many  circum- 
ftances  of  it;  not  only  as  they  may  feem  in- 
credible to  fome,  and  enthufiallical  to  oth- 
ers, but  as  I  am  very  fenlible  they  are  liable 
to  great  abufes  ;  which  was  the  reafon  that  he 
gave  me  for  concealing  the  mod  extraordi- 
nary from  many  perfons  to  whom  he  men- 
tioned fome  of  the  reft.  And  I  believe  it 
was  this,  together  with  the  defire  of  avoid- 
ing every  thing  that  might  look  Jike  oftenta- 
tion  on  this  head,  that  prevented  his  leaving 
a  written  account  of  it  ;  though  I  have  of- 
ten intreated  him  to  do  it  :  as  I  particularly 
remember  I  did  in  the  very  lafl  letter  I  ever 
wrote  him  ;  and  pleaded  the  poffibiiity  of 
his  falling  amidft  thofe  dangers,  to  which  I 
knew  his  valour  might  in  fuch  circumftances 
naturally  expofe  him.  1  was  not  fo  happy 
D2      ,  as 


42       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

as  to  receive  any  anfwer  to  this  letter,  which 
reached  him  but  a  few  days  before  his  death  : 
nor  can  1  certainly  fay,  whether  he  had,  or 
had  not,  complied  with  my  requeft  ;  as  it  is 
very  poffible  a  paper  of  that  kind,  if  it  were 
written,  might  be  left,  amidft  the  ravages 
which  the  rebels  made,  when  they  plundered 
Bankton. 

The  ftory  however  was  fo  remarkable,  that 
I  had  little  reafon  to  apprehend  I  fhould 
ever  forget  it ;  and  yet,  to  guard  againft  all 
contingencies  of  that  kind,  I  wrote  it  down 
that  very  evening,  as  I  had  heard  it  from  his 
own  mouth  :  and  I  have  now  before  me  the 
memoirs  of  that  converfation,  dated  Auguft 
14,  1739,  which  conclude  with  thefe  words, 
(which  I  added,  that  if  we  fhould  both  have 
died  that  night,  the  world  might  not  have 
loft  this  edifying  and  affe&ing  hiftory,  or 
have  wanted  any  atteftation  of  it  I  was  capa- 
ble of  giving  :)  "  N.  B.  I  have  written  down 
<c  this  account  with  all  the  exaftnefs  I  am 
<c  capable  of,  and  could  fafely  take  an  oath 
"  of  it  as  to  the  truth  of  every  circumftance, 
u  to  the  beft  of  my  remembrance,  as  the 
"  Colonel  related  it  to  me  a  few  hours  ago." 
I  do  not  know  that  I  had  reviewed  this  pa- 
per fince  I  wrote  it,  till  I  fet  myfelf  thus 
publicly  to  record  this  extraordinary  faft  ; 
but  I  find  it  pun&ually  to  agree  with  what 

I  have 


LIFE  of  Col,  GARDINER.       43 

I  have  often  related  from  my  memory,  which 
I  charged  carefully  with  fo  wonderful  and 
important  a  fa6L  It  is  with  all  folemnity 
that  1  now  deliver  it  down  to  pofterity  as  in 
the  fight  and  prefence  of  God,  and  I  chufe 
deliberately  to  expofe  myfeif  to  thofe  fevere 
cenfures  which  the  haughty,  but  empty, 
fcorn  cf  infidelity,  or  principles  nearly  ap- 
proaching it,  and  effeftually  doing  its  per- 
nicious work,  may  very  probably  diftate 
upon  the  occafion,  rather  than  to  fmother  a 
relation  which  may,  in  the  judgment  of  my 
confcience,  be  like  to  conduce  fo  much  to 
the  glory  of  God,  the  honour  of  the  gofpel, 
and  the  good  of  mankind.  One  thing  mere 
I  will  only  premife,  that  I  hope  none  who 
have  heard  the  Colonel  himfelf  fpeak  fome-* 
thing  of  this  wonderful  fcene,  will  he  fur- 
prifed  if  they  find  fome  new  circumftances 
here  ;  becaufe  he  aflured  me,  at  the  time  he 
firft  gave  me  the  whole  narration,  which  was 
in  the  very  room  in  which  I  now  write,  that 
he  had  never  imparted  it  fo  fully  to  any  man 
living  before.  Yet  at  the  fame  time  he  gave 
me  full  liberty  to  communicate  it,  to  whom- 
foever  I  fhould  in  my  confcience  judge  it 
might  be  ufeful  to  do  it,  whether  before,  or 
after  his  death.  Accordingly  I  did,  while 
he  was  alive,  recount  almoft  every  circum- 
ftance  I   am  now  going  to  write,  to  feveral 

pious 


44       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

pious  friends  ;  referring  them  at  the  fame 
time  to  the  Colonel  himfelf,  whenever  they 
might  have  an  opportunity  of  feeing  or  writ- 
ing to  him,  for  a  farther  confirmation  of  what 
I  told  them,  if  they  judged  it  requifite. 
They  glorijied  God  m  him  ;  and  I  humbly 
hope  m  my  of  my  readers  will  alfo  do  it. 
They  will  foon  perceive  the  reafon  of  fo 
much  caution  in  my  introduftion  to  this 
ftory,,  for  which  therefore  I  lhall  make  no 
further  apology.* 

This  memorable  event  happened  towards 
the  middle  of  July,  1719  ;  but  I  cannot  be 
*exa6l  as  to  the  dhiy.  The  Major  had  fpent 
the  evening  (and  if  I  miftake  not  it  was  the 
Sabbath)  in  fome  gay  company,  and  had  an 
unhappy  affignation  with  a  married  woman, 
of  what  rank  or  quality  I  did  not  oarticular- 

*  It  is  no  fmall  fatisfaftion  to  me,  fince  I  wrote  this,  to 
have  received  a  letter  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Spears,  minifter 
of  the  go f pel  at  BruntifUnd,  dated  January  14,  1746-7,  in 
which  he  relates  to  me  this  whole  ftory,  as  he  had  it  from 
the  ColonePs  own  mcuth,  about  four  years  after  he  gave 
me  the  narration.  There  is  not  a  fin  Me  circumftance,  in 
which  either  of  our  narrations  difagree  ;  and  every  one  of 
the  particulars  in  mine,  which  feem  nioft  aftoni/hing,  are 
attefted  by  this,  and  fometimes  in  (Iron^er  words  ;  one 
only  excepted,  on  which  f  fhall  add  a  fhort  remark  when 
I  come  to  it.  As  this  letter  was  written  near  Lady  Frances 
Gardiner,  at  her  defire,  and  attended  with  a  poftfcript 
from  her  own  hand,  this  is,  in  effecl,  a  fufficient  atreftation 
how  agreeable  it  was  to  thofe  accounts  which  fhe  mud 
have  often  heard  the  Colonel  give  of  this  matter. 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       45 

ly  inquire,  whom  he  was  to  attend  exaftly  at 
twelve.  The  company  broke  up  about 
eleven  ;  and  not  judging  it  convenient  to 
anticipate  the  time  appointed,  he  went  into 
his  chamber  to  kill  the  tedious  hour,  perhaps 
with  fome  amufing  book,  or  fome  other 
way.  But  it  very  accidentally  happened, 
that  he  took  up  a  religious  book,  which  his 
good  mother  or  aunt  had,  without  his  knowl- 
edge, flipped  into  his  portmanteau.  It  was 
called,  if  I  remember  the  title  exa&ly,  The 
Chnjlian  Soldier,  or  He&ven  taken  by  Storm  ; 
and  was  written  by  Mr.  Thomas  Watfon. 
Gueffing  by  the  title  of  it,  that  he  fliould 
find  fome  phrafes  of  his  own  profeffion  fpir- 
itualized,  in  a  manner  which  he  thought 
might  afford  him  fome  diverfion,  he  refolv- 
ed  to  dip  into  it  ;  but  he  took  no  ferious 
notice  of  any  thing  he  read  in  it :  And  yet, 
while  this  book  was  in  his  hand,  an  impref- 
fion  was  made  upon  his  mind,  (perhaps  God 
only  knows  how)  which  drew  after  it  a  train 
of  the  moft  important  and  happy  confe- 
quences. 

There  is  indeed  a  poffibility,  that  while 
he  was  fitting  in  this  attitude,  and  reading  in 
this  carelefs  and  profane  manner,  he  might 
fnddenly  fall  afleep,  and  only  dream  of  what 
he  apprehended  he  faw.  But  nothing  can 
be  more  certain,  than  that  when  he  gave  me 

this 


46       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

this  relation,  he  judged  himfelf  to  have  been 
as  broad  awake,  during  the  whole  time,  as 
he  ever  was  in  any  part  of  his  life  ;  and  he 
mentioned  it  to  me  feveral  times  afterwards, 
as  what  undoubtedly  paflfed,  not  only  in  his 
imagination,  but  before  his  eyes.* 

He  thought  he  faw  an  unufual  blaze  of 
light  fall  on  the  book  while  he  was  reading, 
which  he  at  firft  imagined  might  happen  by 
fome  accident  in  the  candle.  But  lifting  up 
his  eye^y  he  apprehended,  to  his  extreme 
amazement,  that  there  was  before  him,  as  it 
were  fufpended  in  the  air,  a  vifible  repre- 
fentation  of  the  Lord  Jefus  Chrift  upon  the 
croft,  furrounded  on  all  fides  with  a  glory  ; 
and  was  imprefled,  as  if  a  voice,  or  fome- 
thing  equivalent  to  a  voice,  had  come  to 
him,  to  this  effeft,  for  he  was  not  confident 
as  to  the  very  words,    "  Ob,  finner  !  did  I 

fuffer 

*  Mr.  Spears,  in  the  letter  mentioned  above,  where  he 
.iic*  s  the   Colonel   teiling  his  own  ftory,   has  thefe 
v        s  :   «  All  of  a  fudden  there  was  prefented  in  a  very 
ely  manner,  to  my  view  or  to  my  mind,   a  reprefenta- 
c  of  my  glorious  Redeemer,"  Sec.     And  this  gentle- 

ids,  in  a  parenthefis,  "  It  was  Co  lively  and  ftriking, 
he  could  not  tell  whether  it  was  to  his  bodily  eyes, 
"  or  to  chofe  of  his  mind."     This  makes  me   think,  that 
had  faid  to  him  on  the  phenomena  <>f  vlfions,  ap- 
&c.  (as  being,  when  mod  real,  fupernatnral  im- 
s   on    the  imagination,   rather  than  attended  with 
il  object)  had  fome  influence  upon  him.     Yet 
lent,  he  looked  upon  this  as  a  vifion,  whether 
,  eiore  the  eyes  or  in  the  mind,  and  not  #j  a  dream. 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       47 

fuffer  this  for  thee,  and  are  thefe  the  re- 
turns ?"  But  whether  this  was  an  audible 
voice,  or  only  a  ftrong  impreffion  on  his 
mind  equally  ftriking,  he  did  not  feem  vary 
confident ;  though,  to  the  belt  of  my  re- 
membrance, he  rather  judged  it  to  be  the 
former.  Struck  with  fo  amazing  a  phenom- 
enon as  this,  there  remained  hardly  any  life 
in  him,  fo  that  he  funk  down  in  the  arm 
chair,  in  which  he  fat,  and  continued,  he 
knew  not  exaftly  how  long,  infenfible ; 
(which  was  one  circumftance  that  made  me 
feveral  times  take  the  liberty  to  fuggeft,  that 
he  might  poffibly  be  all  this  while  afleep  :) 
But  however  that  were,  he  quickly  after 
opened  his  eycsy  and  faw  nothing  more  than 
ufual. 

It  may  eafilv  be  fuppofed,  he  was  in  no 
condition  to  make  any  obfervation  upon  the 
time  in  which  he  had  remained  in  an  infenf- 
ible ftate  ;  ncr  did  he,  throughout  the  re- 
mainder of  the  night,  once  recollect  that 
criminal  and  deteftable  affignation  wThich 
had  before  engroffed  all  his  thoughts.  He 
rofe  in  a  tumult  of  paffions,  not  to  be  con- 
ceived, and  walked  to  and  fro  in  his  cham- 
ber till  he  was  ready  to  drop  down,  in  un- 
utterable aftonifhment  and  agony  of  heart  ; 
appearing  to  himfelf  the  vileft  monfter  in 
the  creation   of   God,  who  had   all  his  life 

time 


46       JLJUPE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

time  been  crucifying  Chrijl  afrefh  by  his 
fins,  and  now  Jaw ,  as  he  aifuredly  believed, 
by  a  miraculous  vijion,  the  honor  of  what  he 
had  dune.  With  this  was  conne&ed  fuch  a 
view,  both  of  the  majefty  and  goodnefs  of 
God,  as  caufed  him  to  lothe  and  abhor  him- 
felf ^  and  to  repent  as  in  dufl  and  ajhes.  He 
immediately  gave  judgment  againft  himfelf, 
that  he  was  moil  juftly  worthy  of  eternal 
damnation  :  He  was  aftonifhed  that  he  had 
not  been  ftruck  dead  in  the  midft  of  his 
wickednefs  :  And,  which  I  think  deferves 
particular  remark,  though  he  affu redly  be- 
lieved that  he  fhould  ere  long  be  in  hell, 
and  fettled  it  as  a  point  with  himfelf  for  fev- 
eral  months,  that  the  wifdom  and  juftice  of 
God  did  almoft  neceffarily  require,  that  fuch 
an  enormous  (inner  fhould  be  made  an  ex- 
ample of  everlafting  vengeance,  and  a  fpec- 
iacle,  as  fuch,  both  to  angels  and  men>  fo  that 
he  hardly  durft  prefume  to  pray  for  par- 
don ;  yet  what  he  then  fuffered,  was  not  fo 
much  from  the  fear  of  hell,  though  he  con- 
cluded it  would  foon  be  his  portion,  as  from 
a  fenfe  of  that  horrible  ingratitude  he  had 
ihewn  to  the  God  df  his  life,  and  to  that 
bleffed  Redeemer,  who  had  been  in  fo  af- 
fe&ing  a  manner  Jet  forth  as  crucified  before 
him. 

To 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       49 

To  this  he  refers  in  a  letter,  dated  from 
Douglas,  April  1,  1725,  communicated  to 
me  by  his  lady,*  but  I  know  not  to  whom 
it  was  addreffed.  His  words  are  thefe  :— 
u  One  thing  relating  to  my  converfion,  and 
c<  a  remarkable  inftance  of  the  goodnefs  of 
*  God  to  me,  the  chief  of  finners,  I  do  not 
"  remember  that  I  ever  told  to  any  other 
*c  perfon.  It  was  this  ;  that  after  the  aflon- 
"  ifhing  fight  I  had  of  my  blejfed  Lord,  the 
c<  terrible  condition  in  which  I  was,  proceed- 
"  ed  not  fo  much  from  the  terrors  of  the 
u  law,  as  from  a  fenfe  of  having  been  fo  un- 
u  grateful  a  monfter  to  him  whom  /  thought 
<c  /  faw  pierced  for  my  tranfgreffions."  I 
the  rather  infert  thefe  words,  as  they  evi- 
dently 

*  N.  B.  Where  I  make  any  extracts  as  from  Colonel 
Gardiner's  letters,  they  are  either  from  originals,  which  I 
have  in  my  own  hands,  or  from  copies,  which  were  trans- 
mitted to  me  from  perfons  of  undoubted  credit,  chiefly  by 
the  Right  Honourable  the  Lady  Frances  Gardiner,  through 
the  hand  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Webfter,  one  of  the  minifters  of 
Edinburgh.  This  I  the  rather  mention,  becaufe  fome  let- 
ters have  been  brought  to  me  as  Colonel  Gardiner's,  con- 
cerning which  I  have  not  only  been  very  dubious,  but 
morally  certain,  that  they  could  not  have  been  written  by 
him.  I  have  alfo  heard  of  many,  who  have  been  fond  of 
afturing  the  world,  that  they  were  well  acquainted  with 
him,  and  were  near  him  when  he  fell,  whofe  reports  have 
been  moft  inconfiflent  with  each  other,  as  well  as  contrary 
to  that  teftimony  relating  to  the  circumftancesof  his  death, 
which,  on  the  whole,  appeared  to  me  beyond  controverfy 
the  moft  natural  and  authentic  :  From  whence  therefore  I 
(hall  take  my  account  of  that  affecting  fcene. 

E 


50       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

dently  atteft  the  circumftance  which  may 
feem  moft  amazing  in  this  affair,  and  con- 
tain fo  exprefs  a  declaration  of  his  own  ap- 
prehenfion  concerning  it. 

In  this  view  it  may  naturally  be  fuppof- 
that  he  paffed  the  remainder  of  the  night 
waking  ;  and  he  could  get  but  little  reft  in 
feveral  that  followed.  His  mind  was  con- 
tinually taken  up  in  refledting  on  the  divine 
purity  and  goodnefs  ;  the  grace  which  had 
been  propofed  to  him  in  the  Gofpel,  and 
which  he  had  reje&ed  ;  the  fingular  advan- 
tages he  had  enjoyed  and  abufed  ;  and  the 
many  favours  of  Providence  which  he  had 
received,  particularly  in  refcuing  him  from 
fo  many  imminent  dangers  of  death,  which 
he  now  faw  muft  have  been  attended  with 
fuch  dreadful  and  hopelefs  deflru&ion. — 
The  privileges  of  his  education,  which  he 
had  fo  much  defpifed,  now  lay  with  an  al- 
moft  infupportable  weight  on  his  mind  ; 
and  the  folly  of  that  career  of  fmful  plea- 
fure,  which  he  had  fo  many  years  been  run- 
ning with  defperate  eagernefs  and  unwor- 
thy delight,  now  filled  him  with  indigna- 
tion againft  himfelf,  and  againft  the  great 
deceiver,  bv  whom  (to  ufe  his  own  praife) 
he  had  been  iC  fo  wretchedly  and  fcanda- 
loufly  befooled."  This  he  ufed  often  to 
excrefs   in   the  ftrongeft   terms  ;  which    I 

(hall 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       51 

fhall  not  repeat  fo  particularly,  as  I  can- 
not recolleft  forne  of  them.  But  on  the 
whole,  it  is  certain,  that  by  what  palTed  be- 
fore he  left  his  chamber  the  next  day,  the 
whole  frame  and  difpofition  of  his  foul  was 
new  modelled  and  changed  ;  fo  that  he  be- 
came and  continued  to  the  laft  day  of  his 
exemplary  and  truly  chriftian  life,  the  very 
reverfe  of  what  he  had  been  before.  A  va- 
riety of  particulars,  which  I  am  afterwards 
to  mention,  will  iliuftrate  this  in  the  moft 
convincing  manner.  But  I  cannot  proceed 
to  them,  without  paufhig  a  while  to  adore 
fo  illuftrious  an  inftance  of  the  power  and 
freedom  of  divine  grace,  and  intreating  my 
reader  ferioufly  to  reflect  upon  it,  that  his 
own  heart  may  be  fuitably  affe&ed  :  For 
furely,  if  the  truth  of  the  fa6l  be  admitted 
in  the  loweft  views  in  which  it  can  be  plac- 
ed, (that  is,  fuppofing  the  firft  impreflion  to 
have  paffed  in  a  dreavi)  it  mult  be  allowed 
to  have  been  little,  if  any  thing,  lefs  than 
miraculous.  It  cannot  in  the  courfe  of  na- 
ture be  imagined,  how  fuch-a  dream  fhould 
arife  in  a  mind  full  of  the  moft  impure  ideas 
and  afFe&ions,  and  as  he  himfelf  often  plead, 
more  alienated  from  the  thoughts  of  a  cruci- 
Jied  Saviour,  than  from  any  other  objeft  that 
can  be  conceived  :  Nor  can  we  furely  fup- 
pofe  it  fhould,  without  a  mighty  energy  of 

the 


K2       LIFE  o?  Col.  GARDINER. 


D 


the  divine  power,  be  effe&ual  to  produce 
not  only  fome  tranfient  flow  of  paflion,  but 
fo  entire  and  fo  permanent  a  change  in  char- 
after  and  conduft. 

On  the  whole,  therefore,  I  mud  beg  leave 
to  exprefs  my  own  fentiments  of  the  matter, 
by  repeating  on  this  occafion  what  I  wrote 
feveral  years  ago,  in  my  eighth  fermon  on 
Rtgeneration>  in  a  paffage  dictated  chiefly  by 
the  circumftantial  knowledge  which  I  had 
of  this  amazing  ftory,  and  methinks  fufEc- 
iently  vindicated  by  it,  if  it  flood  entirely 
alone  ;  which  yet,  I  muft  take  the  liberty  to 
fayy  it  does  not  :  For  I  hope  the  world  will 
be  particularly  informed,  that  there  is  at 
ieafl  a  fecond,  that  very  nearly  approaches 
it,  whenever  the  eflablilhed  church  of  Eng- 
land fhall  lofe  one  of  its  brighteft  living  or- 
naments, and  one  of  the  mod  ufeful  mem- 
bers, which  that,  or  perhaps  any  other  Chrift- 
ian  communion,  can  boaft  :  In  the  mean 
time,  may  his  exemplary  life  be  long  con- 
tinued, and  his  zealous  miniftry  abundantly 
profpered  !  I  beg  my  reader's  pardon  for 
this  digreffion.  The  paffage  I  referred  to 
above  is  remarkably,  though  not  equally, 
applicable  to  both  the  cafes,  as  it  Hands  in 
page  263,  of  the  firft  edition,  under  that 
head  where  I  am  fhewing,  that  God  fome- 
times  accomplishes  the  great  work  of  which 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       53 

we  fpeak,  by  fecret  and  immediate  impref- 
fions  on  the  mind.  After  preceding  illus- 
trations, there  are  the  following  words,  on 
which  the  Colonel's  converfion  will  throw 
the  juftefl  light :  "  Yea,  I  have  known  thofe 
"  of  diftinguifhed  genius,  polite  manners, 
<c  and  great  experience  in  human  affairs, 
u  who,  after  having  outgrown  all  the  im- 
cc  preffions  of  a  religious  education  ;  after 
u  having  been  hardened,  rather  than  fubdu- 
u  ed,  by  the  mofl  lingular  mercies,  even  va- 
u  rious,  repeated  and  aftonifliing  deliver- 
•f  ances,  which  have  appeared  to  themfelves 
cc  no  lefs  than  miraculous  ;  after  having  liv- 
u  ed  for  years  without  God  in  the  world,  no- 
"  torioufly  corrupt  themfelves,  and  labour- 
"  ing  to  the  utmofl  to  corrupt  others,  have 
€i  been  ftopt  on  a  fudden  in  the  full  career 
<c  of  their  fin,  and  have  felt  fuch  rays  of  the 
<c  divine  prefence,  and  of  redeeming  love, 
<c  darting  in  upon  their  minds,  almoft  like 
(i  lightning  from  heaven,  as  have  at  once 
u  rouzed,  overpowered,  and  transformed 
11  them  :  So  that  they  have  come  out  of 
ff  their  fecret  chambers  with  an  irreconcile- 
i(  able  enmity  to  thofe  vices,  to  which,  when 
"  they  entered  them,  they  were  the  tameft 
"  and  mod  abandoned  flaves  ;  and  have  ap- 
u  peared  from  that  very  hour  the  votaries, 
11  the  patrons,  the  champions  of  religion  ; 
E  2  and 


54      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 


<c 


"  and  after  a  courfe  of  the  moll  refolute 
"  attachment  to  it,  in  fpite  of  all  the  reafon- 
"  ings  or  the  railleries,  the  importunities  or 
u  the  reproaches,  of  its  enemies,  they  have 
"  continued  to  this  day  fome  of  its  brighteft 
u  ornaments  :  A  change,  which  I  behold 
with  equal  wonder  and  delight,  and  which, 
if  a  nation  fhould  join  in  deriding  it,  I 
€<  would  adore  as  the  finger  of  God." 

The  mind  of  Major  Gardiner  continued 
from  this  remarkable  time  till  towards  the 
end  of  O&ober,  that  is,  rather  more  than 
three  months,  but  efpecially  the  two  firft  of 
them,  in  as  extraordinary  a  fituation  as  one 
can  well  imagine.  He  knew  nothing  of  the 
joys  arifing  from  a  fenfe  of  pardon  ;  but,  on 
the  contrary,  for  the  greater  part  of  that 
time,  and  with  very  fhort  intervals  of  hope 
toward  the  end  of  it,  took  it  for  granted,  that 
he  muft,  in  all  probability,  quickly  perifhi, 
Neverthelefs,  he  had  fuch  a  fenfe  of  the  evil 
of  fin,  of  the  goodnefe  of  the  Divine  Being, 
and  of  the  admirable  tendency  of  the  Ghrift- 
ian  revelation,  that  he  refolved  to  fpend  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  while  God  continued 
him  out  of  hell,  in  as  rational  and  as  ufeful 
a  manner  as  he  could  ;  and  to  continue  call- 
ing himfelf  at  the  feet  of  divine  mercy  every 
day,  and  often  in  a  day,  if  peradventure 
there  might  be  hope  of  pardon,  of  which  all 

that 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       55 

that  he  could  fay  was,  that  he  did  not  abfo- 
lately  defpair.  He  had  at  that  time  fuch  a 
fenfe  of  the  degeneracy  of  his  own  heart, 
that  he  hardly  durft  form  any  determinate 
refolution  againft  fin,  or  pretend  to  engage 
himfelf  by  any  vow  in  the  prefence  of  God ; 
but  he  was  continually  crying  to  him  that  he 
would  deliver  him  from  the  bondage  of  cor- 
ruption. He  perceived  in  himfelf  a  mo  ft 
furprifing  alteration  with  regard  to  the  dif- 
pofitions  of  his  heart ;  fo  that,  though  he 
felt  little  of  the  delight  of  religious  duties, 
he  extremely  defired  opportunities  of  being 
engaged  in  them  ;  and  thofe  licentious 
pleafures,  which  had  before  been  his  heaven, 
were  now  absolutely  his  averiion.  And  in- 
deed, when  I  confider  how  habitual  all  thofe 
criminal  indulgences  were  grown  to  him, 
and  that  he  was  now  in  the  prime  of  life, 
and  all  this  while  in  high  health  too,  I  can- 
not but  be  aftoniflied  to  reflect  upon  it,  that; 
he  fhould  be  fo  wonderful \y  fanBijitd  in  body ■, 
as  well  as  in  foul  and  fpirit>  as  that,  for  all 
the  future  years  of  his  life,  he,  from  that 
hour,  fhould  findfoconftant  a  difinclination 
to,  and  abhorrence  of,  thofe  criminal  fenfu- 
alities,  to  which  he  fancied  he  was  before  fo 
invincibly  impelled  by  his  very  conftitu- 
1  tion,  that  he  was  ufed  ftrangely  to  think, 
and  to  fay,  that  Omnipotence  itfelf  could  not 

reform 


56       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

reform  him,  without  deftroying  that  body, 
and  giving  him  another.* 

Nor  was  he  only  delivered  from  that 
bondage  of  corruption,  which  had  been  ha- 
bitual to  him  for  fo  many  years,  but  felt  in 

his 

*  Mr.  Spears  expreiTes  this  wonderful  circumftance  in 
thefe  remarkable  words  :  "  I  was  ((aid  the  Colonel  to  me) 
•'  effectually  cured  or  all  inclination  to  that  Jin  I  was  lo 
*'  ftrongly  addicled  to,  that  I  thought  nothing  but  (hooting 
€i  me  through  the  head  could  have  cured  me  of  it ;  and  all 
*'  defire  and  inclination  to  it  was  removed,  as  entirely  as 
"  if  I  had  been  a  fucking  child  ;  nor  did  the  temptation 
tc  return  to  this  day."  Mr.Webfter's  words  on  the  fame 
fubject  are  thefe  :  "  One  thing  I  have  heard  the  Colonel 
"  frequently  fay,  that  he  was  much  addicted  to  impurity 
u  before  his  acquaintance  with  religion  ;  but  that,  fo  loon 
€i  as  he  was  enlightened  from  above,  he  felt  the poiver  oj  the 
"  Holy  Ghojl  changing  his  nature  fo  wonderfully,  that  his 
"  fanclification  in  this  reipect  feemed  more  remarkable 
"  than  in  any  other."  On  which  that  worthy  perfon 
makes  this  very  reafonable  reflection  :  "  So  thorough  a 
4i  change  of  fuch  a  polluted  nature,  evidenced  by  the  mod 
U  unblemiihed  walk  and  converfation  for  a  long  courfe  of 
"  years,  demorifhates  indeed  the  pouoer  of  the  hlghejl^  and 
M  leaves  no  room  to  doubt  of  its  reality/7  Mr.  Spears 
fays,  this  happened  in  three  days  time  :  But  from  what 
I  can  recoiled,  all  that  the  Colonel  could  mean  by  that 
exprefllon,  if  he  ufed  it,  as  I  conclude  he  did,  was,  that 
he  began  to  make  the  obfervation  in  the  fpace  of  three 
davs  ;  whereas,  during  that  time,  his  thoughts  were  fo 
taken  up  with  the  wonderful  views  prefented  to  his 
mind,  that  he  did  not  immediately  attend  to  it.  If  he 
had  within  the  firft  three  days  any  temptation  to  leek 
fome  cafe  from  the  anguifh  of  his  mind,  in  returning 
to  former  ienfualities,  it  is  a  circumftance  he  did  not 
mention  to  me  ;  and  by  what  I  can  recollect  of  the 
(train  of  his  difcourfe,  he  intimated,  if  he  did  not  ex- 
prefs,  the  contrary. 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       57 

his  breaft  fo  contrary  a  difpofition,  that  he 
was  grieved  to  fee  human  nature,  in  thofe  to 
whom  he  was  mod  entirely  a  ftranger,  prof- 
tituted  to  fuch  low  and  contemptible  pur- 
fuits.  He  therefore  exerted  his  natural 
courage  in  a  very  new  kind  of  combat,  and 
became  an  open  advocate  for  religion,  in  all 
its  principles,  fo  far  as  he  was  acquainted 
with  them,  and  all  its  precepts,  relating  to 
fobriety,  righteoufnefs,  and  godlinefs.  Yet 
he  was  very  defirous  and  cautious,  that  he 
might  not  run  into  an  extreme,  and  made  it 
one  of  his  firft  petitions  to  God,  the  very 
day  after  thefe  amazing  impreffions  had  been 
wrought  in  his  mind,  that  he  might  not  be 
fuffered  to  behave  with  fuch  an  affe&ed 
ftiffnefs  and  precifenefs,  as  would  lead  others 
about  him  into  miftaken  notions  of  religion, 
and  expofe  it  to  reproach  or  fufpicion,  as  if 
it  were  an  unlovely  or  uncomfortable  thing. 
For  this  reafon  he  endeavoured  to  appear  as 
cheerful  in  converfation  as  he  confcientiouf- 
ly  could  ;  though,  in  fpite  of  all  his  precau- 
tions, fome  traces  of  that  d*  ep  inward  fenfe 
which  he  had  of  his  guilt  and  mifery,  would 
at  times  appear.  He  made  no  fecret  of  it, 
however,  that  his  views  were  entirely  chang- 
ed, though  he  concealed  the  particular  cir- 
cumftances  attending  that  change.  He  told 
his  moll  intimate  companions  freely,  that  he 

had 


[  58       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

had  reflefted  on  the  courfe  of  life  in  which 
he  had  fo  long  joined  them,  and  found  it  to 
be  folly  and  madnefs,  unworthy  a  rational 
creature,  and  much  more  unworthy  perfons 
calling  themfelves  Chriftians.  And  he  fee 
up  his  ftandard,  upon  all  occafions,  againft 
principles  of  infidelity,  and  pra&ices  of  vice, 
as  determinately,  and  as  boldly,  as  ever  he 
difplayed  or  planted  his  colours,  when  he  bore 
them  with  fo  much  honour  in  the  field. 

I  cannot  forbear  mentioning  one  ftruggle 
of  this  kind,  which  he  defcribed  to  me,  with 
a  large  detail  of  circumftances,  the  fii  ft  day 
of  our  acquaintance.  There  was  at  that 
time  in  Paris  a  certain  lady,  whofe  name, 
then  well  known  in  the  grand  and  the  gay 
world,  I  mufl  beg  leave  to  conceal,  who  had 
imbibed  the  principles  of  Deifm,  and  valued 
herfelf  much  upon  being  an  avowed  advo- 
cate for  them.  The  Major,  with  his  ufual 
franknefs,  though  I  doubt  not  with  that  po- 
litenefs  of  manners  which  was  fo  habitual  to 
him,  and  which  he  retained  throughout  his 
whole  life,  anfwered  her,  like  a  man  who 
perfeftly  faw  through  the  fallacy  of  her  ar- 
guments, and  was  grieved  to  the  heart  for 
her  delufion.  On  this  flie  brifkly  challeng- 
ed him  to  debate  the  matter  at  large,  and  to 
fix  upon  a  day  for  that  purpofe,  when  he 
fhould  dine  with  her,  attended  with  any  Cle r- 

gym  a  n. 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       59 

gyman  he  might  chufe,  whether  of  the  Prot- 
eftant  or  Catholic  communion.  A  fenfe  of 
duty  would  not  allow  him  to  decline  this 
challenge  ;  and  yet  he  had  no  fooner  ac- 
cepted it,  but  he  was  thrown  into  great  per- 
plexity and  diflrefs,  left  being  (as  I  remem- 
ber he  exprefifed  it,  when  he  told  me  the 
ftory)  only  a  Chrijlian  of  fix  weeks  oldy  he 
fhould  prejudice  fo  good  a  caufe,  by  his  un- 
flulful  manner  of  defending  it.  However, 
he  fought  his  refuge  in  earned,  and  repeated 
prayers  to  God,  that  he,  who  can  ordain 
Jlrength,  and  per f  eft  praife^  out  of  the  month 
of  babes  andfucklmgs,  would  gracioufly  dis- 
able him,  on  this  occafion,  to  vindicate  his 
truths  in  a  manner  which  might  carry  con- 
vidHon  along  with  it.  He  then  endeavour- 
ed to  marfhal  the  arguments  in  his  own  mind 
as  well  as  he  could  ;  and  apprehending  that 
he  could  not  fpeak  with  fo  much  freedom 
before  a  number  of  perfons,  efpecially  before 
fuch  whofe  province  he  might  in  that  cafe 
feetn  to  invade,  if  he  had  not  devolved  the 
principal  part  of  the  difcourfe  upon  them, 
he  eafily  admitted  the  apology  of  a  Clergy- 
man or  two,  to  whom  he  mentioned  the  af- 
fair, and  waited  on  the  lady  alone  upon  the 
day  appointed.  But  his  heart  was  fo  fet 
upon  thebufinefs,  that  he  came  earlier  than 
lie  was  expe&ed,   and  time  enough  to  have 

two 


60      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

two  hours  difcourfe  before  dinner  ;  nor  did 
he  at  all  decline  having  two  young  perfons, 
nearly  related  to  the  lady,  prefent  during 
the  conference. 

The  Major  opened  it,  with  a  view  of  fuch 
arguments  for  the  Chriflian  religion  as  he 
had  digefted  in  his  own  mind,  to  prove  that 
the  Apoftles  were  not  miflaken  themfelves, 
and  that  they  could  not  have  intended  to 
impofe  upon  us,  in  the  accounts  they  give  of 
the  grand  fa£is  they  atteft  ;  with  the  truth 
of  which  fafts,  that  of  the  Chriflian  religion 
is  mod  apparently  connefted.  And  it  was 
a  great  encouragement  to  him,  to  find,  that 
unaccuftomed  as  he  was  to  difcourfes  of  this 
nature,  he  had  an  unufual  command,  both 
of  thought  and  expreffion  ;  fo  that  he  recol- 
lected, and  uttered  every  thing,  as  he  could 
have  wifhed.  The  lady  heard  with  atten- 
tion ;  and  though  he  paufed  between  every 
branch  of  the  argument,  (he  did  not  inter- 
rupt the  courfe  of  it,  till  he  told  her  he  had 
finifhed  his  defign,  and  waited  for  her  reply,. 
She  then  produced  fome  of  her  obje&ions, 
which  he  took  up  and  canvaffed  in  fuch  a 
manner,  that  at  length  fhe  burft  out  into 
tears,  allowed  the  force  of  his  arguments  and 
replies,  and  appeared,  for  fome  time  after, 
fo  deeply  imprefled  with  the  converfation, 
that  it  was  obferved  by  feveral  tff  her  friends  : 

And 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       61 

And  there  is  reafon  to  believe,  that  the  im- 
preffion  continued,  at  leaft  fo  far  as  to  pre- 
vent her  from  ever  appearing  under  the 
chara&er  of  an  unbeliever  or  a  fceptic. 

This  is  only  one  fpecimen  among  many, 
of  the  battles  he  was  almoft  daily  called  out 
to  fight  in  the  caufe  of  religion  and  virtue  ; 
with  relation  to  which  I  find  him  exprefling 
himfelfthus,  in  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Gardiner, 
his  good  mother,  dated  from  Paris,  the  25th 
of  January  following,  that  is,  1719-20,  in 
anlwer  to  one,  in  which  fhe  had  warned  him 
to  expe£l  fuch  trials  :  "  I  have,  (fays  he) 
cc  alreadj'  met  with  them,  and  am  obliged  to 
u  fight  and  difpute  every  inch  of  ground  : 
cc  But  all  thanks  and  praife  to  the  great  Cap- 
u  lain  of  my  falvation>  he  fights  for  me  ; 
"  and  then  it  is  no  wonder,  that  I  come  off 
"  more  than  conqueror  ;"  by  whiclrlaft  ex- 
prefiion  I  fuppofe  he  meant  to  infinuate, 
that  he  was  ftrengthened  and  eftablifhed, 
rather  than  overborne  by  this  opposition. 
Yet  it  was  not  immediately,  that  he  gained 
fuch  fortitude.  He  has  often  told  me  how 
much  he  felt  in  thofe  days,  of  the  emphafis 
of  thofe  well  chofen  words  of  the  Apoftle, 
in  which  he  ranks  the  trial  of  cruel  mockings, 
with  fcourgings,  and  bonds,  and  imprifon- 
ments.  The  continual  railleries  with  which 
he  was  received,  in  almoft  all  companies 
F  where 


62       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

where  he  had  been  moft  familiar  before,  did 
often  diftrefs  him  beyond  meafure  ;  fo  that 
he  has  feveral  times  declared,  he  would 
much  rather  have  marched  up  to  a  battery 
of  the  enemy's  cannon,  than  have  been  o- 
bliged,  fo  continually  as  he  was,  to  face  fuch 
artillery  as  this.  But  like  a  brave  foldier  in 
the  firft  a6lion  wherein  he  is  engaged,  he 
continued  refolute,  though  fhuddering  at 
the  terror  of  the  aflault ;  and  quickly  over- 
came thofe  impreffions,  which  it  is  not  per- 
haps in  nature  wholly  to  avoid  :  And  there- 
fore I  find  him  in  the  letter  referred  to  a- 
bove,  which  was  written  about  half  a  year 
after  his  converfion, cc  quite  afhamed  to  think 
C€  of  the  uneafinefs  which  thefe  things  once 
Cf  gave  him."  In  a  wrord,  he  went  on,  as 
every  refolute  Chriftian  by  divine  grace  may 
do,  till  he  turned  ridicule  andoppofition  in- 
to refpeft  and  veneration. 

But  this  fenfible  triumph  over  thefe  diffi- 
culties, was  not  till  his  Chriftian  experience 
had  been  abundantly  advanced  by  the  blefT- 
ing  of  God  on  the  fermons  he  heard,  partic- 
ularly in  the  Swifs  chapel,  and  on  the  many 
hours  which  he  fpent  in  devout  retirement, 
pouring  out  his  whole  foul  before  God  in 
prayer.  He  began,  within  about  two 
months  after  his  firft  memorable  change,  to 
perceive    fome    fecret    dawnings    of    more 

cheerful 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       63 

cheerful  hope,  that  vile  as  he  faw  himfelf  to 
be,  (and  I  believe  no  words  can  exprefs  how- 
vile  that  was)  he  might  neverthelefs  obtain 
mercy  through  a  Redeemer.  And  at  length, 
if  I  remember  right,  about  the  end  of  Otto- 
ber,  1719,  he  found  all  the  burthen  of  his 
mind  taken  off  at  once,  by  the  powerful  irn- 
predion  of  that  memorable  fcripture  upon 
his  mind;  Rom.  iii.  25,26..  Whom  God 
hath  fet  forth  for  a  propitiation  through  faith 
in  his  bloody  to  declare  his  rightemifnefs  in  the 

re?nifion  of  fins that  he  might  be  jifly  and 

the  jufifer  of  him  that  believeth  in  Jefus. 
He  had  ufed  to  imagine,  that  ihe  juftice  of 
God  required  the  damnation  of  fo  enormous 
a  finner,  as  he  faw  himfelf  to  be  :  But  now 
he  was  made  deeply  fenfible,  that  the  divine 
juftice  might  be,  not  only  vindicated,  but 
glorified,  in  faving  him  by  the  blood  of  Jefus, 
even  that  bloody  which  cleanfeth  ns  from  all 
fin.  Then  did  he  fee  and  feel  the  riches  of 
redeeming  love  and  grace,  in  fuch  a  manner, 
as  not  only  engaged  him,  with  the  utmoft 
pleafure  and  confidence  to  venture  his  foul 
upon  it  ;  but  even  fwallowed  up,  as  it  were, 
his  whole  heart  in  the  returns  of  love,  which 
from  that  blefted  time  became  the  genuine 
and  delightful  principle  of  his  obedience, 
and  animated  him  with  an  enlarged  hearty 
(0  run  the  xvay  of  God's  commandments.  Thus 
*  God 


64       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

God  was  pleafed,  (as  he  himfelf  ufed  to 
fpeak)  in  an  hour  to  turn  his  captivity.  All 
the  terrors  of  his  former  ftate  were  changed 
into  unutterable  joy,  which  kept  him  almoft 
continually  waking  for  three  nights  together, 
and  yet  refrefhed  him  as  the  nobleft  of  cor- 
dials. His  expreflions,  though  naturally 
very  ftrong,  always  feemed  to  be  fwallowed 
up,  when  he  would  defcribe  the  feries  of 
thought  through  which  he  now  palled,  under 
the  rapturous  experience  of  that  joy  unfpcak- 
able,  and  full  of glory ,  which  then  feemed  to 
overflow  his  very  foul ;  as  indeed  there  was 
nothing  he  feemed  to  fpeak  of  with  greater 
relifh.  And  though  the  firfl  ecftacies  of  it 
afterwards  fubfided  into  a  more  calm  and 
compofed  delight,  yet  were  the  impreflions 
fo  deep  and  fo  permanent,  that  he  allured 
me,  on  the  word  of  a  Chriftian  and  a  friend, 
wonderful  as  it  might  feem,  that  for  about 
feven  years  after  this,  he  enjoyed  almoft  an 
heaven  upon  earth.  His  foul  was  fo  con- 
tinually filled  with  a  fenfe  of  the  love  of 
God  in  Chrift,  that  it  knew  little  interrup- 
tion, but  when  neceffary  converfe,  and  the 
duties  of  his  ftation,  called  oiF  his  thoughts 
for  a  little  time  :  and  when  they  did  fo,  as 
foon  as  he  was  alone,  the  torrent  returned 
into  its  natural  channel  again  ;  fo  that,  from 
the  minute  of  his  awakening  in  the  morning, 

his 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       65 

his  heart  was  rifing  to  God,  and  triumphing 
in  him  ;  and  thefe  thoughts  attended  him 
through  all  the  fcenes  of  life,  till  he  lay 
down  on  his  bed  again,  and  a  fhort  paren- 
thefts  of  fleep  (for  it  was  but  a  very  fhort 
one  that  he  allowed  himfelf)  invigorated  his 
animal  powers,  for  renewing  them  with 
greater  intenfenefs  and  feniibility. 

I  fhall  have  an  opportunity  of  illuftrating 
this  in  the  mod  convincing  manner  below, 
by  extrafts  from  feveral  letters  which  he 
wrote  to  intimate  friends  during  this  happy 
period  of  time  :  letters  which  breathe  a 
fpirit  of  fuch  fublime  and  fervent  piety,  as  I 
have  feldom  met  with  any  where  elfe.  In 
thefe  circumftances,  it  is  no  wonder,  that  he 
was  greatly  delighted  with  Dr.  Watts's  im- 
itation of  the  126th  Pfalm  ;  fince  it  may  be 
queflioned,  whether  there  ever  was  a  perfon, 
to  whom  the  following  ftanzas  of  it  were 
more  fuitable. 

When  God  revcal'd  his  gracious  name, 

And  chang'd  my  mournful  ftate, 
My  rapture  feem'd  a  pleafing  dream; 

The  grace  appear'd  fo  great. 

The  vvtSekl  beheld  the  glorious  change, 

And  did  thine  hand  confefs  ; 
My  tongue  broke  out  in  unknown  Arams, 

And  fung  furprifmg  grace. 

F  2  «  Great 


66       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

"  Great  is  the  work,"  my  neighbors  cry'd, 

And  own'd  the  power  divine  : 
"  Great  is  the  work,"  my  heart  reply'd, 

"  And  be  the  glory  thine." 

The  Lord  can  change  the  darkeft  fkies, 

Can  give  us  day  for  night, 
Make  floods  of  facred  forrow  rife 

To  rivers  of  delight* 

Let  thofe  that  fow  in  fadnefs,  wait 

Till  the  fair  harveft  come  : 
They  (hall  confefs  their  fheaves  are  great, 

And  fhout  the  bleflings  home. 

I  have  been  fo  happy  as  to  get  the  fight 
of  five  original  letters,  which  he  wrote  to  his 
mother  about  this  time  ;  which  do,  in  a  very- 
lively  manner,  illuftrate  the  furprifing 
change  made  in  the  whole  current  of  his 
thoughts,  and  temper  of  his  mind.  Many 
of  them  were  written  in  the  mod  hafty  man- 
ner, juft  as  the  courier  who  brought  them 
was,  perhaps  unexpe6ledly,  fetting  out ;  and 
they  relate  chiefly  to  affairs,  in  which  the 
public  is  not  at  all  concerned  :'  yet  there  is 
not  one  of  them,  in  which  he  has  not  infert- 
ed  fome  warm  and  genuine  fentiment  of  re- 
ligion. And  indeed  it  is  very  remarkable, 
that  though  he  was  pleafed  to  honour  me 
with  a  great  many  letters,  and  I  have  feen 
feveral  more  which  he  wrote  to  others,  fome 

of 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       67 

of  them  on  journies,  where  he  could  have 
but  a  few  minutes  at  command,  yet  I  cannot 
recolledt,  that  I  ever  faw  any  one,  in  which 
there  was  not  fome  trace  of  piety.  And  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Webfter,  who  was  employed  to 
review  great  numbers  of  them,  that  he  might 
feleft  fuch  extra 6h  as  he  fhould  think  proper 
to  communicate  to  me,  has  made  the  fame 
obfervation.* 

The  Major,  with  great  juftice,  tells  the 
good  lady  his  mother,  "  that  when  fhe  faw 
cc  him  again,  fhe  would  find  the  perfon  in- 
M  deed  the  fame,  but  every  thing  elfe  entire- 
"  ly  changed."  And  fhe  might  eafily  have 
perceived  it  of  herfelf,  by  the  whole  tenor  of 
thofe  letters,  which  every  where  breathe  the 
unaffe&ed  fpirit  of  a  true  Chriftian.  They 
are  taken  up,  fometimes  with  giving  advice 
and  dire&ions  concerning  fome  pious  and 
charitable  contributions  ;  one  of  which  I 
remember  amounted  to  ten  guineas,  though, 
as  he  was  then  out  of  commiffion,  and  had 

not 

*  His  words  are  thefe  :  "  I  have  read  ever  a  vart 
"  number  of  the  Colonel's  letters,  and  have  not  found 
41  any  one  of  them,  however  fhort,  and  wrote  in  the 
"  moft  pafling  manner,  even  when  porting,  but  what  is 
11  expreflive  of  the  mod  paflionate  breathings  towards 
"  his  God  and  Saviour.  If  the  letter  confifts  but  of 
"  two  fentences,  religion  is  not  forgot,  which  doubrlefs 
u  deferves  to  be  carefully  remarked,  as  the  id  eft  un- 
"  contefted  evidence  of  a  pious  mind,  ever  under  the 
"  warmeft  imprefliona  of  divine  things," 


68       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

not  formerly  been  very  frugal,  it  cannot  be 
fuppofed  he  had  much  to  fpare  ;  fometimes 
in  fpeaking  of  the  pleafure  with  which  he 
attended  fermons,  and  expefted  facramental 
opportunities ;  and  at  other  times,  in  exhort- 
ing her,  eftabliftied  as  (he  was  in  religion,  to 
labour  after  a  yet  more  exemplary  charac- 
ter and  conduft,  or  in  lecommending  her  to 
the  divine  prefence  and  blefTing,  as  well  as 
himfelf  to  her  prayers.  What  fatisfa£tion 
fuch  letters  as  thefe  mud  give  to  a  lady  of 
her  diftinguifhed  piety,  who  had  fo  long 
wept  over  this  dear  and  amiable  fon,  as  quite 
loft  to  God,  and  on  the  verge  of  final  de- 
ftru&ion,  it  is  not  for  me  to  defcribe,  or  in- 
deed to  conceive.  But  haftily  as  thefe  let- 
ters were  written,  only  for  private  view,  I 
will  give  a  few  fpecimens  from  them  in  his 
own  words  ;  which  will  ferve  to  illuftrate,  as 
well  as  confirm,  what  I  have  hinted  above. 

"  I  muft  take  the  liberty,"  fays  he,  in  a 
letter  dated  on  the  firft  day  of  the  new  year, 
or  according  to  the  old  ftile,  Dec.  21,  1719, 
"  to  intreat  you,  that  you  would  receive  no 
"  company  on  the  Lord's  day.  I  know  you 
<c  have  a  great  many  good  acquaintance,  with 
"  whofe  difcourfes  one  might  be  very  well 
"  edified  :  but  as  you  cannot  keep  out,  and 
<f  let  in,  whom  you  pleafe,  the  beft  way,  in 
"  my  humble  opinion,  will  be  to-fee  none." 

In 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       69 

In  another,  of  Jan.  25,  "  I  am  happier  than 
"  any  one  can  imagine,  except  I  could  put 
c<  him  exa&ly  in  the  fame  fituation  with 
"myfelf;  which  is  what  the  world  cannot 
u  give,  and  no  man  ever  attained  it,  unlefs  it 
u  were  from  above."  In  another,  dated 
March  30,  which  was  juft  before  a  facrament 
day,  "  Tomorrow,  if  it  pleafe  God,  I  fhall  be 
"happy  ;  my  foul  being  to  be  fed  with  the 
u  bread  of  life ,  which  came  down  from  heav- 
iC  en.  1  (hall  be  mindful  of  you  all  there." 
In  another  of  Jan.  29,  he  thus  exprefles  that 
indifference  for  worldly  poffeffions,  which 
he  fo  remarkably  carried  through  all  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  ;  fC  I  know,  the  rich  are 
"  only  ftewards  for  the  poor,  and  muft  give 
"  an  account  for  every  penny  ;  therefore 
<c  the  lefs  I  have,  the  more  eafy  will  it  be  to 
<f  render  a  faithful  account  of  it."  And  to 
add  no  more  from  thefe  letters  at  prefent,  in 
the  conclufion  of  one  of  them  he  has  thefe 
comprehenfive  and  folemn  words  :  fC  Now 
u  that  he,  who  is  the  eafe  of  the  affii&ed,  the 
"  fupport  of  the  weak,  the  wealth  of  the 
"  poor,  the  teacher  of  the  ignorant,  the  an- 
"  chor  of  the  fearful,  and  the  infinite  reward 
"  of  all  faithful  fouls,  may  pour  out  upon 
"  you  all  his  richeft  bleffings,  (hall  always  be 
cc  the  prayer  of  him  who  is  entirely  your's, 


C\,C, 


To 


70       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

To  this  account  of  his  correfpondence 
with  his  excellent  mother,  1  fhall  be  glad  to 
add  a  large  view  of  another,  to  which  (he  in- 
troduced him,  with  that  reverend  and  valu- 
able perfon,  under  whofe  paftoral  care  (he 
was  placed,  I  mean  the  juftly  celebrated 
Dr.  Edmund  Calamy,  to  whom  fhe  could 
not  but  early  communicate  the  joyful  news 
of  her  fon's  converfion.  I  am  not  fo  hap- 
py as  to  be  pofleffed  of  the  letters  which 
pa{Ted  between  them,  which  I  have  reafon 
to  believe  would  make  a  curious  and  valua- 
ble colleftion  :  But  I  have  had  the  pleafure 
of  receiving,  from  my  worthy  and  amiable 
friend,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Edmund  Calamy,  one 
of  the  letters  which  the  Do£lor,  his  father, 
wrote  to  the  Major  on  this  wonderful  occa- 
fion.  I  perceive  by  the  contents  of  it,  that 
it  was  the  firfl:  ;  and  indeed  it  is  dated  as 
early  as  the  third  of  Auguft,  1719,  which 
in ufl  be  but  a  few  days  after  his  own  account 
dated  Auguft  4,  N.  S.  could  reach  England. 
There  is  To  much  true  religion  and  good 
fenfe  in  this  paper,  and  the  counfel  it  fug- 
gefts  may  be  fo  feafonable  to  other  perfons  in 
circumftances  which  bear  any  relemblance 
to  his,  that  I  make  no  apology  to  my  reader 
for  inferring  a  large  cxtraft  from  it. 

"  Dear  Sir,    I   conceive  it  will  not  much 
<(  furprife  you  to  understand  th  it  your  good 

u  mother 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       71 

"  mother  communicated  to  me  your  letter 
<c  to  her,  dated  Aug.  4,  N.  S.  which  brought 
"  her  the  news  you  conceived  would  be  fo 
"  acceptable  to  her.  I,  who  have  often 
cc  been  a  witnefs  to  her  concern  for  you  on 
cc  a  fpiritual  account,  can  atteft  with  what 
"  joy  this  news  was  received  by  her,  and  im- 
<c  parted  to  me  as  a  fpecial  friend,  who  flic 
Cc  knew  would  bear  a  part  with  her  on  fuch 
"  an  occafion.  And  indeed,  if  (as  our  Sav- 
"  iour  intimates,  Luke  xv.  7,  10)  there  isy  in 
<c  fuch  cafes,  joy  in  heaven,  and  among  the 
"  angels  of  God,  it  may  well  be  fuppofed, 
xc  that  of  a  pious  mother,  who  has  fpent  fo 
<c  many  prayers  and  tears  upon  you,  and 
"  has,  as  it  were,  travailed  in  birth  with  you 
<c  again,  till  Chirjl  was  formed  in  yon,  could 
"  not  be  fmall.  You  may  believe  me  if  I 
"  add,  that  I  alfo,  as  a  common  friend  of 
<c  her's  and  your's,  and,  which  is  much  more, 
"  of  the  Prince  of  light,  whom  you  now  de- 
<c  clare  you  heartily  fall  in  with  in  oppofi- 
"  tion  to  that  of  the  dark  kingdom,  could 
"  not  but  be  tenderly  affefted  with  an  ac- 
<c  count  of  it  under  your  own  hand.  My 
"  joy  on  this  account  was  the  greater,  con- 
"  (idering  fhe  importance  of  your  capacity, 
"  interefts,  and  profpefts  ;  which,  in  fuch 
"  an  age  as  this,  may  promife  mod  happy 
"  confequences,  on  your  heartily  appearing 

"on 


72       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

f<  on  God's  fide,  and  embarking  in  the  in- 
"  tereft  of  our  dear  Redeemer.  If  I  have 
<c  hitherto  at  all  remembered  you  at  the 
c<  throne  of  grace ,  at  your  good  mother's  de- 
<c  fire,  (which  you  are  pleafed  to  take  notice 
cC  of  with  fo  much  refpeft)  I  can  affure  you 
<(  I  fhall  henceforward  be  led  to  do  it,  with 
<c  more  concern  and  particularity,  both  by 
cc  duty  and  inclination.  And  if  I  were  ca- 
cc  pable  of  giving  you  any  little  affiftance  in 
*  the  noble  defign  you  are  engaging  in,  by 
tf  correfponding  with  you  by  letter,  while 
€€  you  are  at  fuch  a  diftance,  I  fhould  do  it 
"  moft  cheerfully.  And,  perhaps,  fuch  a 
<c  motion  may  not  be  altogether  unaccepta- 
*'  ble  :  For  I  am  inclinable  to  believe,  that 
"  when  fome,  whom  you  are  obliged  to  con- 
*c  verfe  with,  obferve  your  behaviour  fo  dif- 
t€  ferent  from  what  it  formerly  was,  and 
<€  banter  you  upon  it  as  mad  and  fanciful,  it 
cc  may  be  fome  little  relief  to  correfpond 
<c  with  one  who  will  take  a  pleafure  in  heart- 
"  ening  and  encouraging  you.  And  when 
c<  a  great  many  things  frequently  offer,  in 
cc  which  confcience  may  be  concerned,  where 
cc  duty  may  not  always  be  plain,  nor  fuita- 
c<  ble  perfons  to  advife  with  at  hand,  it  may 
c<  be  fome  fatisfa6lion  to  you  to  correfpond 
*c  with  one,  with  whom  you  may  ufe  a  friend- 
"  ly  freedom  in  all  fuch  matters,   and  on 

u  whofe 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       73 

"  whofe  fidelity  you  may  depend.  You 
u  may  therefore  command  me  in  any  of 
cc  thefe  refpe&s,  and  I  fhall  take  a  pleafure  in 
u  ferving  you.  One  piece  of  advice  I  fhall 
u  venture  to  give  you,  though  your  own 
u  good  fenfe  will  make  my  enlarging  upon 
cc  it  lefs  needful,  I  mean,  that  you  would, 
u  from  your  firft  fetting  out,  carefully  dif- 
"  tinguifh  between  the  ejfentials  of  real  re- 
<c  ligion,  and  thofe  things  which  are  com- 
"  monly  reckoned  by  its  profeflbrs  to  belong 
<c  to  it.  The  want  of  this  diftin&ion  has 
cc  had  very  unhappy  confequences  from  one 
<c  age  to  another,  and  perhaps  in  none  more 
"  than  the  prefent.  But  your  daily  con- 
"  verfe  with  your  Bible,  which  you  mention, 
fc  may  herein  give  you  great  afliftance.  I 
"  move  alfo,  that  fince  infidelity  fo  much  a- 
"  bounds,  you  would,  not  only  by  clofe  and 
"  ferious  confideration,  endeavour  to  fettle 
u  yourfelf  well  in  the  fundamental  principles 
"  of  religion  ;  but  alfo  that,  as  opportunity 
ft  offers,  you  would  converfe  with  thofe 
fC  nooks  which  treat  mofl  judicioufly  on  the 
cc  divine  original  of  Chriftianity,  fach  as 
cc  Grotius,  Abadie,  Baxter,  Bates,  Da  Plef- 
fC  fis,  See.  which  may  eftablifh  you  againfl 
cavils  that  occur  in  almoft  all  converfa- 
.  ahd  furnifh  you  with  arguments 
cc  which,  when  properly  offered,  may  be  of 
G  "ufe 


74       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

"  ufe  to  make  fome  impreffions  on  others 
"  But  being  too  much  ftraightened  to  en- 
u  large  at  prefent,  I  can  only  add,  that  if 
€i  your  hearty  falling  in  with  ferious  religion 
<c  fhould  prove  any  hindrance  to  your  ad- 
"  yancement  in  the  world,  (which  I  pray 
cc  God  it  may  not,  unlefs  fuch  advancement 
<c  would  be  a  real  fnare  to  you)  I  hope  you 
"  will  truft  our  Saviour's  word,  that  it  fhall 
cc  be  no  difadvantage  to  you  in  the  final  if- 
c<  fue  :  He  has  given  you  his  word  for  it, 
u  Mat.  xix.  29.  upon  which  you  may  fafely 
u  depend  ;  and  I  am  fatisfied,  none,  that 
fC  ever  did  fo,  at  laft  repented  of  it.  May 
"  you  go  on  and  profper,  and  the  God  of 
"  all  grace  and  peace  be  with  you." 

I  think  it  very  evident  from  the  contents 
of  this  letter,  that  the  Major  had  not  im- 
parted to  his  mother  the  mod  fmgular  cir- 
cumftances  attending  his  converfion  :  And, 
indeed,  there  was  fomething  fo  peculiar  in 
them,  that  I  do  not  wonder  he  was  always 
cautious  in  fpeaking  of  them,  and,  efpecially 
that  he  was  at  fir  ft  much  on  the  referve.  We 
may  alfo  naturally  reflet,  that  there  feems  to 
have  been  fomething  very  providential  in 
this  letter,  confidering  the  debate  in  which 
our  illuffrious  convert  was  fo  foon  engaged ; 
for  it  was  written  but  about  three  weeks 
fore  his  conference  with  the  lady  above  men- 
tioned, 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       75 

tioned,  in  the  defence  of  Chriftianity  ;  or, 
at  leaft,  before  the  appointment  of  it.  And 
as  fome  of  the  books  recommended  by  Dr. 
Calamy,  particularly  Abadie  and  Du  Pleffis, 
were  undoubtedly  within  his  reach,  (if  our 
Englifh  advocates  were  not)  this  might,  by 
the  divine  bleffing,  contribute  confiderably 
towards  arming  him  for  that  combat,  in 
which  he  came  off  with  fuch  happy  fuccefs. 
And  as  in  this  inftance,  fo  in  many  others, 
they  who  will  obferve  the  coincidence  and 
concurrence  of  things,  may  be  engaged  to 
adore  the  wife  conduct  of  providence  in  e- 
vents,  which,  when  taken  fingly  and  bv 
themfelves,  have  nothing  very  remarkable 
in  them. 

I  think  it  was  about  this  time,  that  this 
refolute  and  exemplary  Chriflian  entered 
upon  that  methodical  manner  of  living, 
which  he  purfued  through  fo  many  fuc- 
ceeding  years  of  his  life,  and  I  believe,  gen- 
erally, fo  far  as  the  broken  ftate  of  his  health 
would  allow  it  in  his  latter  days,  to  the  very 
end  of  it.  He  ufed  conftantly  to  rife  at 
four  in  the  morning,  and  to  fpend  his  time 
till  fix  in  the  fecret  exercifes  of  devotion, 
reading,  meditation  and  prayer  ;  in  which 
laft  he  contra&ed  fuch  a  fervency  of  fpirit, 
as  I  believe  few  men  living  ever  obtained. 
This  certainly  tended  very  much  to  ftrength- 

en 


76       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

en  that  firm  faith  in  God,  and  reverent  an- 
imating fenfe  of  his  prefence,  for  which  he 
was  fo  eminently  remarkable,  and  which 
carried  him  through  the  trials  and  fervices 
of  life,  with  fuch  fteadinefs,  and  with  fuch 
a6iivity  ;  for  he  indeed  endured,  and  afted 
as  always  feeing  Him  who  is  invijible.  If  at 
any  time  he  was  obliged  to  go  out  before  fix 
in  the  morning,  he  arofe  proportionably 
fooner  ;  fo  that  when  a  journey,  or  a  march, 
has  required  him  to  be  on  horfeback  by 
four,  he  would  be  at  his  devotions  at  fartheft 
by  two.  He  like  wife  fecured  time  for  re- 
tirement in  an  evening  ;  and  that  he  might 
have  it  the  more  at  command,  and  be  the 
tttore  fit  to  ufe  it  properly,  as  well  as  the 
better  able  to  rife  early  the  next  morning, 
he  generally  went  to  bed  about  ten  :  And 
during  the  time  I  was  acquainted  with  him, 
he  feidom  eat  any  fupper,  but  a  mouthful 
of  bread  with  one  glafs  of  wine.  In  confe- 
quence  of  this,  as  well  as  of  his  admirably- 
good  conftitution,  and  the  long  habit  he 
had  formed,  he  required  lefs  fleep  than  moft 
perfons  I  have  known  :  And  I  doubt  not 
but  his  uncommon  progrefs  in  piety  was  in 
a  great  meafure  owing  to  thefe  refolute 
habits  of  felf  denial. 

A  life  any  thing  like  this,  could  not,  to  be 
fure,  be  entered  upon,  in  the  midfl  of  fuch 

company 


LIFE  or  Col.  GARDINER.       77 

company  as  he  had  been  accuftomed  to 
keep,  without  great  oppofition,  efpecially, 
as  he  did  not  entirely  withdraw  himfelf  from 
all  the  circle  of  cheerful  converfation  ;  but 
on  the  contrary,  gave  feveral  hours  every 
day  to  it,  left  religion  fhould  be  reproach- 
ed, as  having  made  him  morofe.  He  how- 
ever, early  began  a  pra&ice,  which  to  the 
laftday  of  his  life  he  retained,  of  reproving 
vice  and  prof  anenfo  \  and  was  never  afraid 
to  debate  the  matter  with  any,  under  the 
confcioufnefs  of  fuch  fuperiority  in  the 
goodnefs  of  his  caufe. 

A  remarkable  inftanoe  of  this  happened/ 
if  I  miftake  not,  about  the  middle  of  the* 
year  1720,  though  I  cannot  be  very  exa6t 
as  to  the  date  of  f the  ftory,  It  was  how- 
ever on  his  firft  return,  to  make  any  con- 
fiderable  abode  in  England,  after  this  re- 
markable change.  He  had  heard,  on  the 
other  fide  of  the  water,  that  it  was  current- 
ly reported  among  his  companions  at  home, 
that  he  was  Jiark  mad  :  A  report,  at  which, 
no  reader,  who  knows  the  zuifdom  of  the 
world  in  thefe  matters,  will  be  much  fur- 
prifed,  any  more  than  himfelf.  He  con- 
cluded, therefore,  that  he  fhould  have  many 
battles  to  fight,  and  was  willing  to  difpatch 
the  bufinefs  as  faft  as  he  could.  And  there- 
fore, being  to  fpend  a  few  days  at  the  coun- 
ts 2  try 


78       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

try  houfe  of  a  perfon  of  diftinguifhed  rank, 
with  whom  he  had  been  very  intimate, 
(whofe  name  I  do  not  remember  that  he 
told  me,  nor  did  I  think  it  proper  to  en- 
quire after  it)  he  begged  the  favour  of  him 
that  he  would  contrive  matters  fo,  that  a  day 
or  two  after  he  came  down,  feveral  of  their 
former  gay  companions  might  meet  at  his 
Lordfhip's  table  :  that  he  might  have  an 
opportunity  of  making  hi*  apology  to  them, 
and  acquainting  them  with  the  nature  and 
reafons  of  his  change.  It  was  accordingly 
agreed  to  ;  and  a  pretty  large  company  met 
on  the  day  appointed,  with  previous  notice 
that  Major  Gardiner  would  be  there.  A 
good  deal  of  raillery  paffed  at  dinner,  to 
which  the  Major  made  very  little  anfwer. 
But  when  the  cloth  was  taken  away,  and  the 
fervants  retired,  he  begged  their  patience 
for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  plainly  and  fe- 
rioufly  told  them,  what  notions  he  enter- 
tained of  virtue  and  religion,  and  on  what 
confiderations  he  had  abfolutely  determined,, 
that  by  the  grace  cf  God  he  would  make  it 
the  care  and  bufmefs  of  life,  whatever  he 
might  lofe  by  it,  and  whatever  cenfure 
and  contempt  he  might  incur.  He  well 
knew  how  improper  it  was  in  fuch  com- 
pany to  relate  the  extraordinary  manner  in 
which  he  was  awakened  ;  which  they  would 

probably 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       79 

probably  have  interpreted  as  a  demonftra- 
tion  of  lunacy,  againlt  all  the  gravity  and 
folidity  of  his  difcourfe  :  But  he  contented 
himfelf  with  fuch  a  rational  defence  of  a 
righteous,  fobeif  and  godly  life,  as  he  knew 
none  of  them  could  with  any  fhadow  of  rea- 
fon  conteft.  He  then  challenged  them  to 
propofe  any  thing  they  could  urge,  to  prove 
that  a  life  of  irreligion  and  debauchery  was 
preferable  to  the  fear,  love,  and  worfhip  of 
the  eternal  God,  and  a  conduft  agreeable  to 
the  precepts  of  his  gofpel.  And  he  failed 
not  to  bear  his  teftimony,  from  his  own  ex- 
perience, (to  one  part  of  which  many  of 
them  had  been  witneffesj  that  after  having 
run  the  wide  ft  round  of  fenfual  pleafure, 
with  all  the  advantages  the  belt  conftitution 
and  fpirits  could  give  him,  he  had  never 
tafted  any  thing  that  deferved  to  be  called 
happinefs,  till  he  had  made  religion  his  ref- 
uge and  his  delight.  He  teftified  calmly 
and  boldly,  the  habitual  ferenity  and  peace 
that  he  now  felt  in  his  own  breaft,  (for  the 
moft  elevated  delights  he  did  not  think  fit  to 

o 

plead,  left  they  fhould  be  efteemed  enthufi- 
afm)  and  the  compofure  and  pleafure  with 
which  he  looked  forward  to  objedls,  which 
the  gayeft  finner  muft  acknowledge  to  be 
equally  unavoidable  and  dreadful. 

I  know  not  what  might  be  attempted  by 
fame  of  the  company  in  anfwer  to  this ;  but 

I  well 


8o       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

I  well  remember  he  told  me,  the  matter  of 
the  table,  a  perfon  of  a  very  frank  and  can- 
did difpofition,  cut  fhort  the  debate,  and 
faid,  "  Come,  let  us  call  another  caufe  :  We 
"  thought  this  man  mad,  and  he  is  in  good 
cc  earned  proving  that  we  are  fo."  On  the 
whole,  this  well  judged  circumftance  faved 
him  a  geat  deal  of  future  trouble.  When 
his  former  acquaintance  obferved,  that  he 
was  fl ill  converfable  and  innocently  cheer- 
ful, and  that  he  was  immoveable  in  his  refo- 
lutions,  they  de filled  from  farther  importu- 
nity. And  he  has  alfured  me,  that  inftead 
of  lofing  any  one  valuable  friend  by  this 
change  in  his  chara£ter,  he  found  himfelf 
much  more  efteemed  and  regarded,  by  many 
who  could  not  -perfuade  themfelves  to  imi- 
tate his  example. 

I  have  not  any  memoirs  of  Col.  Gardi- 
ner's life,  or  of  any  other  remarkable  event 
befalling  him  in  it,  from  the  time  of  his  re- 
turn to  England,  till  his  marriage  in  the  year 
1726  ;  except  the  extrafts  which  have  been 
lent  me  from  fome  letters,  which  he  wrote  to 
bis  religious  friends  during  this  interval,  and 
which  I  cannot  pafs  by  without  a  more  par- 
ticular notice.  It  may  be  recolle&ed,  that 
in  confequence  of  the  redu&ion  of  that  reg- 
iment of  which  he  was  Major,  he-was  out  of 
commiffion  from  Nov.  10th,  1718,  to  June 
lft,    if  24.      And   after  he  returned  from 

ParisJ 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       8* 

Paris,  I  find  all  his  letters,  during  this  peri- 
od, dated  from  London,  where  he  continued 
in  communion  with  the  Chriftian  fociety 
under  the  paftoral  care  of  Dr.  Calamy.  As 
his  good  mother  alfo  belonged  to  the  fame, 
it  is  eafy  to  imagine  it  muft  be  an  unfpeak-* 
able  pleafure  to  her,  to  have  fuch  frequent 
opportunities  of  converfing  with  fuch  a  fon, 
of  obferving  in  his  daily  condu£l  and  dif- 
courfes  the  bleffed  eftefts  of  that  change 
which  divine  grace  had  made  in  his  heart, 
and  of  fitting  down  with  him  monthly  at 
that  facred  feaft,  where  Chriftians  fo  fre- 
quently enjoy  the  divined  entertainments 
which  they  expe6i  on  this  fide  heaven.  I 
the  rather  mention  this  ordinance,  becaufe  as 
this  excellent  lady  had  a  very  high  efteem 
for  it,  fo  flhe  had  an  opportunity  of  attend- 
ing it  but  the  very  Lord's  day  immediately 
preceding  her  death,  which  happened  0£k. 
1  y  1725>  after  her  fon  had  been  removed 
from  her  almofi  a  year.  He  had  maintain- 
ed her  handfomely  out  of  that  very  moder- 
ate income,  on  which  he  fubfifted  fince  his 
regiment  had  been  difbanded  ;  and  when 
fhe  exprefled  her  gratitude  to  hirn  for  it,  he 
affured  her,  (I  think  in  one  of  the  lad  letters 
ftie  ever  received  from  him)  u  that  he  ef- 
,c  teemed  it  a  great  honour,  that  God  put  it 
u  into  his  power,  to  make  (what  he  called)  a 

-  very 


82       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 


cc  very  fmall  acknowledgment  of  all  her  care 
u  for  him,  and  efpecially  of  the  many  prayers 
c<  fhe  had  offered  on  his  account,  which  had 
lc  already  been  remarkably  anfwered,  and 
cc  the  benefit  of  which  he  hoped  ever  to  en- 

"joy." 

I  apprehend  that  the  Earl  of  Stair's  regi- 
ment, to  the  Majority  of  which  he  was^pro- 
moted  on  the  20th  of  July,  1724,  was  then 
quartered  in  Scotland  ;  for  all  the  letters  in 
my  hand,  from  that  time  to  the  6th  of  Feb. 
1726,  are  dated  from  thence,  and  particular- 
ly from  Douglas,  Stranrawen,  and  Air  :  But 
J  have  the  pleafure  to  find,  from  comparing 
thefe  with  others  of  an  earlier  date  from  Lon- 
don and  the  neighboring  parts,  that  neither 
the  detriment  which  he  muft  fuffer  by  being' 
fo  long  out  of  commiflion,  nor  the  hurry  of 
affairs  while  charged  with  it,  could  prevent 
or  interrupt  that  intercourfe  with  heaven, 
which  was  his  daily  feaft,  and  his  daily 
flrength. 

Thefe  were  mod  eminently  the  happy 
years  of  his  life  :  For  he  had  learned  to  efli- 
mate  his  happinefs,  not  by  the  increafe  of 
honour,  or  the  poffeffion  of  wealth,  or  by 
what  was  much  dearer  to  his  generous  heart 
than  either,  the  converfe  of  the  deareft  and 
worthiefl  human  friends  ;  but  by  nearnefs 
to  God,  and  by  opportunities  of  humble 

converfe 


LIFE  of  Col,  GARDINER.       83 

converfe  with  him,  in  the  lively  exercife  of 
contemplation,  praife,  and  prayer.  Now 
there  was  no  period  of  his  life,  in  which  he 
was  more  eminently  favoured  with  thefe  ; 
nor  do  I  find  any  of  his  letters  fo  overflow- 
ing with  tranfports  of  holy  joy,  as  thofe 
which  were  dated  during  this  time.  There 
are  indeed  in  fome  of  them  fuch  very  fub- 
lime  paflages,  that  I  have  been  dubious 
whether  I  fhould  communicate  them  to  the 
public  or  not ;  left  I  fhould  adminifier  mat- 
ter of  profane  ridicule  to  feme,  who  look 
upon  all  the  elevations  of  devotion  as  a  con- 
temptible enthufiafra.  And  it  has  alfo  giv- 
en me  fome  apprehenfions,  left  it  fhould  dif- 
courage  fome  pious  Chriftians,  who  after 
having  fpent  feveral  years  in  the  fervice  of 
God,  and  in  humble  obedience  to  the  pre- 
cepts of  his  gofpel,  may  not  have  attained  to 
any  fuch  heights  as  thefe.  But  on  the 
whole,  I  cannot  fatisfy  myfelf  to  fupprefs 
them  ;  not  only  as  I  number  fome  of  them, 
confidered  in  a  devotional  view,  among  the 
moft  extraordinary  pieces  of  the  kind  I  have 
ever  met  with  ;  but  as  fome  of  the  moft  ex- 
cellent and  judicious  perfons  I  any  where 
know,  to  whom  I  have  read  them,  have  af- 
fured  me,  that  they  felt  their  hearts  in  an 
unufual  rranner  imprefled,  quickened,  and 
edified  by  them. 

I  mil 


«4       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

I  will  therefore  draw  back  the  veil,  and 
fliew  my  much  honoured  friend  in  his  moft 
fecret  receffes,  that  the  world  may  fee  what 
thofe  fprings  were,  from  whence  ifTued  that 
clear,  permanent,  and  living  flream  of  wiL 
dom,  piety,  and  virtue,  which  fo  apparently 
ran  through  all  that  part  of  his  life  which 
was  open  to  public  obfervation.  It  is  not 
to  be  imagined,  thatletters  written  in  the  in- 
timacy of  Chriftian  friendfhip,  fome  of  them 
with  the  moft  apparent  marks  of  hafte,  and 
amid  ft  a  variety  of  important  public  cares, 
fliould  be  adorned  with  any  ftudied  elegance 
of  expreffioj,  about  which  the  greatnefs  of 
his  foul  would  not  allow  him  to  be  at  any 
time  very  folicitous ;  for  he  generally  (fo  fat 
as  I  could  obferve)  wrote  as  fail  as  his  pen 
could  move,  which  happily,  both  for  him 
and  his  many  friends,  was  very  freely.  Yet 
here  the  grandeur  of  his  fubjeft  has  fome- 
times  clothed  his  ideas  with  a  language 
more  elevated,  than  is  ordinarily  to  be  ex- 
pe&ed  in  an  epiftolary  correfpondence. 
The  proud  fcorners,  who  may  deride  fenti- 
rnents  and  enjoyments  like  thofe  which  this 
truly  great  man  fo  experimentally  and  pa- 
thetically defcribes,  I  pity  from  my  heart ; 
and  prieve  to  think  how  unfit  they  muft  be 
for  the  Hallelujahs  of  heaven,  who  pour 
contempt  upon  the  neareft  approaches  to 

them^ 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       85 

them  :  Nor  fhall  I  think  it  any  misfortune 
to  lhare  with  fo  excellent  a  perfon  in  their 
profane  derifion.  It  will  be  infinitely  more 
than  an  equivalent  for  all  that  fuch  igno- 
rance and  petulency  can  think  and  fay,  if  I 
may  convince  fome  who  are  as  yet  ftrangers 
to  religion,  how  real,  and  how  noble  its  de- 
lights are  ;  if  I  may  engage  my  pious  readers 
to  glorify  God  for  fo  iliuftrious  an  inftance 
of  his  grace  ;  and  finally,  if  I  may  quicken 
them,  and  above  all  may  roufe  my  own  too 
indulgent  fpirit,  to  follow  with  lefs  unequal 
fteps  an  example,  to  the  fublimity  of  which 
I  fear  few  of  us  fhall  after  all  be  able  fully 
to  attain.  And  that  we  may  rot  be  too 
much  difcouraged  under  the  deficiency,  let 
it  be  recolle£ted,  that  few  have  the  advan- 
tage of  a  temper  naturally  fo  warm  ;  few 
have  an  equal  command  of  retirement  ;  and 
perhaps  hardly  any  one,  who  thinks  himfelf 
moft  indebted  to  the  riches  and  freedom  of 
divine  grace,  can  trace  interpofitions  of  it, 
in  all  refpe&s  equally  aftonifhing. 

The  firft  of  thefe  extraordinary  letters 
which  have  fallen  into  my  hand,  is  dated 
near  three  years  after  his  converfion,  and 
addreffed  to  a  lady  of  quality.  I  believe  it 
is  the  firft  the  Major  ever  wrote,  fo  imme- 
diately on  the  fubjeft  of  his  religious  confo- 
lations  and  converfe  with  God  in  devout 
H  retirement. 


86       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

retirement.  For  I  well  remember,  that  he 
once  told  me,  he  was  fo  much  afraid  that 
fomething  of  fpiritual  pride  fhould  mingle 
itfelf  with  the  relation  of  fuch  kind  of  expe- 
riences, that  he  concealed  them  a  long  time. 
But  obferving  with  how  much  freedom  the 
facred  writers  open  all  the  mod  fecret  re* 
ceffes  of  their  hearts,  efpecially  in  the  Pfalms, 
his  confcience  began  to  be  burdened,  under 
an  apprehenfion,  that  for  the  honor  of  God, 
and  in  order  to  engage  the  concurrent  praifes 
of  fome  of  his  people,  he  ought  to  difclofe 
them.  On  this  he  fet  himfelf  to  refleft,  who 
among  all  his  numerous  acquaintance  feem- 
ed  at  once  the  mod  experienced  Chriftian 
he  knew,  (to  whom  therefore  fuch  things  as 
he  had  to  communicate  might  appear  folid 
and  credible)  and  who  the  humbleft.  He 
quickly  thought  of  the  Lady  Marchionefs  of 
Douglas  in  this  view  :  And  the  reader  may 
well  imagine,  that  it  (truck  my  mind  very 
ftrongly,  to  think  that  now,  more  than  24 
years  after  it  was  written,  Providence  fhould 
bring  fo  my  hands  (as  it  has  done  within 
thefe  few  days)  what  I  afluredly  believe  to 
be  a  genuine  copy  cf  that  very  letter  ;  which 
I  had  not  the  lead  reafon  to  expeft:  I  fhould 
ever  have  feen,  when  I  learnt  from  his  own 
mouth,  a/nidfl  the  freedom  of  an  accidental 

oanverfationj 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       87 

converfation,  the  occafion  and  circumftances 
of  it. 

It  is  dated  from  London,  July  21,  1722, 
and  the  very  firlt  lines  of  it  relate  to  a  re- 
markable circumftance,  which  from  others 
of  his  letters  I  find  to  have  happened  feveral 
times.  I  mean,  that  when  he  had  received 
from  any  of  his  Chriftian  friends  a  few  lines 
which  particularly  affected  his  heart,  he 
could  not  (lay  till  the  ftated  return  of  his 
devotional  hour,  but  immediately  retired  to 
pray  for  them,  and  to  give  vent  to  thofe 
religious  emotions  of  mind,  which  fuch  a 
correfpondence  raifed.  How  invaluable  was 
fuch  a  friend  !  and  hew  great  reafon  have 
thofe  of  us,  who  once  pofTefifed  a  large  (hare 
in  his  heart,  and  in  thofe  retired  and  facred 
moments,  to  blefs  God  for  fo  fingular  a  fe- 
licity ;  and  to  comfort  ourfelves  in  a  pleat- 
ing hope,  that  we  may  yet  reap  future  bleff- 
ings,  as  the  harveft  of  thofe  petitions  which 
he  can  no  more  repeat  ! 

His  words  are  thefe  :  cc  I  was  fo  happy  as 
"  to  receive  your's  juft  as  I  arrived,  and  I 
"  had  no  fooner  read  it,  but  I  fhut  my  door, 
cc  and  fought  him  whom  my  foul  loveth.  I 
"fought  himi  and  found  him  ;  and  would  not 
u  let  him  go,  till  he  had  bieffed  us  all.  It  is 
"  impoflible  to  find  words  to  exprefs  what  I 
"  obtained  ;  but  I  fuppofe  it  was  fomething 

"  like 


S3       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

ci  like  that  which  the  difciples  got,  as  they 
' iC  were  going  to  Emmaus,  when  they  faid, 
"  Did  not  our  hearts  burn  zvithin  us,  &c.  or 
"  rather  like  what  Paul  felt,  when  he  could 
"  not  tell  whether  he  ivas  in  the  body  or  out  of 
£C  iL"  He  then  mentions  his  dread  of  fpir- 
itual  pride,  from  which  he  earneftly  prays 
that  God  may  deliver  and  preferve  him. 
"  This/'  fays  he,  <f  would  have  hindered 
"  me  from  communicating  thefe  things,  if  I 
"  had  not  fuch  an  example  before  me  as  the 
cc  man  after  God's  own  heart,  faying,  I  will 
u  declare  zohat  God  hath  done  for  my  foul  ; 
if  and  el fe where,  The  humble fhall hear  there- 
l(  of  arcd  be  glad  :  Now  I  am  well  fatisfied, 
*c  that  }  our  Ladyfliip  is  of  that  number." 
He  then  adds,  u  I  had  no  fooner  finiftied 
"  this  exercife,"  that  is,  of  prayer  above 
mentioned,  <c  but  I  fat  down  to  admire  the 
"  goodnefs  of  my  God,  that  he  would  vouch- 
cc  fafe  to  influence  by  his  free  fpirit  fo  un- 
cc  deferving  a  wretch  as  I,  and  to  make  me 
c<  thus  to  mount  up  with  eagles  wings.  And 
cc  here  I  was  loll  again,  and  got  into  an 
"  ocean,  where  I  could  find  neither  bound 
<c  nor  bottom  ;  but  was  obliged  to  cry  out 
rf  with  the  Apoftle,  0  the  breadth,  the  length, 
cf  the  depth,  the  height,  of  the  love  of  Chrif, 
<(  which  pa feth  knowledge  !  But  if  I  give  way 
"  to  this  (train,   I   fhall  never  have  done. 

(f  That 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       89 

u  That  the  God  of  hope  may  fill  you  with  all 
"joy  and  peace  in  believing,  that  you  may 
ct  abound  in  hope  through  the  power  of  the 
cc  Holy  Ghojly  (hall  always  be  the  prayer  of 
".him,  who  is,  with  the  greateft  fkicerity 
"  and  refpeft,  your  Lady  (hip's,  &c/' 

Another  paffage  to  the  fame  purpofe  I 
find  in  a  memorandum,  which  he  feems  to 
have  written  for  his  own  ufe,  dated  Monday, 
March  11,  which,  I  perceive  from  many 
concurrent  circumftances,  muft  have  been 
in  the  year  1722-3.  "  This  day,"  fays  he, 
"  having  been  to  vifit  Mrs.  G.  at  Hamp- 
<c  (lead,  I  came  home  about  two,  and  read  a 
<c  fermon  on  thofe  words,  Pfalm  exxx.  4. 
"  But  there  is  forgivenefs  with  theey  that  thou 
<c  mayefl  be  feared  :  About  the  latter  end  of 
a  which,  there  is  a  defcription  of  the  mifer- 
"  able  condition  of  thofe  that  are  (lighters  of 
iC  pardoning  grace.  From  a  fenfe  of  the 
i€  great  obligation^  I  lay  under  to  the  Al- 
<c  mighty  God,  who  hath  made  me  to  differ 
"  from  fuch,  from  what  I  was,  and  from  the 
"  reft  of  my  companions,  1  knelt  down  to 
"  praife  his  holy  name  :  And  I  know  not, 
"  that  in  my  life  time  I  ever  lay  lower  in  the 
<c  duft,  never  having  had  a  fuller  vitw  of  my 
"  own  unworthinefs.  I  never  pleaded  more 
cc  ftrongly  the  merits  and  interceffion  of 
"  him,  who  I  know  is  worthy  ;  never  vowed 
H  2  "  more 


90       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

<c  more  fincerely  to  be  the  Lord's,  and  to 
c<  accept  of  Chrift  as  he  is  offered  in  the 
"  gofpel,  as- my  king,  prieft,  and  prophet; 
"  never  had  fo  ftrong  a  defire  to  depart,  that 
"  I  might  fin  no  more  ;  but — my  grace  is 
U fuffic'vnt — curbed  that  defire.  I  never 
"  pleaded  with  greater  fervency  for  the  com- 
"  forter,  which  our  bleffed  Lord  hath  prom- 
cc  ikd,Jhall  abide  with  as  forever.  For  all 
"  which  I  defire  to  afcribe  glory,  8cc.  to  him 
"  lhatfitteth  on  the  throne,  and  to  the  lamb." 

There  are  feveral  others  of  his  papers, 
which  fpeak  much  the  fame  language  ; 
which,  had  he  kept  a  diary,  would,  I  doubt 
not,  have  filled  many  fheets.  I  believe,  my 
devout  readers  would  not  foon  be  weary  of 
reading  extracts  of  this  kind  :  But  that  I 
may  not  exceed  in  this  part  of  my  narrative, 
I  fhall  mention  only  two  more,  each  of  them 
dated  fome  years  after  ;  that  is,  one  from 
Douglas,  April  1,  1725;  and  the  other  from 
Stranrawen,  the  25th  of  May  following, 

The  former  of  thefe  relates  to  the  frame 
of  his  fpirit  on  a  journey.  On  the  mention 
of  which  I  cannot  but  recolleft,  how  often 
I  have  heard  him  fay,  that  fome  of  the  mofi; 
delightful  days  of  his  life  were  days  in  which 
he  travelled  alone,  (that  is,  with  only  a  fer- 
vant  at  a  diftance)  when  he  could,  efpecially 
in  roads  not  much  frequented,  indulge  him- 

felf 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       gi 

felf  in  the  pleafures  of  prayer  and  praife. 
In  the  exercife  of  which  laft,  he  was  greatly 
aflifted  by  feveral  Pfalms  and  Hymns,  which 
he  had  treafured  up  in  his  memory,  and 
which  he  ufed  not  only  to  repeat  aloud,  but 
fometimes  to  fing.  In  reference  to  this  I  re- 
member the  following  paflage,  in  a  tatter 
which  he  wrote  to  me  many  years  after, 
when  on  mentioning  my  ever  dear  and  hon- 
oured friend,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Watts,  he  fays, 
w  How  often  in  finging  fome  of  his  Pfalms, 
"  Hymns,  or  Lyricks,  on  horfeback,  and 
"  elfewhere,  has  the  evil  fpirit  been  made  to 
M  flee  ! 

M  Whene'er  my  heart  in  tune  was  found, 
"  Like  David's  harp  of  folemn  found  !" 

Such  was  the  firft  of  April  above  men- 
tioned, in  the  evening  of  which  he  writes 
thus  to  an  intimate  fiiend  :  "  What  would 
"  I  have  given  this  day,  upon  the  read,  for 
M  paper,  pen,,  and  ink,  when  the  fpirit  of  the 
u  Mofi  High  refiedupon  me  !  Oh  for  the  pen 
"  of  a  ready  writer,  and  the  tongue^of  an 
u  angel,  to  declare  what  God  hath  done  this 
<c  day  for  my  foul  !  But  in  fhort  it  is  in  vain 
"  to  attempt  it  :  All  that  I  am. able  to  fay, 
"  is  only  this,  that  my  foul  has  been  for  fome 
"  hours  joining  with  the  bleffed  fpiiits  a- 
"  bove,   in   giving  glory  %  and  honour,   and 

"  praife, 


92       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

u  praife,  unto  him  that  fit teth  upon  the  throne, 
u  and  to  the  lamb,  for  ever  and  ever.  My 
u  praifes  began  from  a  renewed  view  of  him, 
"  whom  I  faxv  pierced  for  my  tranfgrejftons. 
"  I  fummoned  the  whole  hierarchy  of  heav- 
ff*  en  to  join  with  me  ;  and  I  am  perfuaded 
Cf  they  all  echoed  back  praife  to  the  Mod 
u  High.  Yea,  one  would  have  thought  the 
u  very  larks  joined  me  with  emulation. 
"  Sure  then  I  need  not  make  ufe  of  many 
"  words,  to  perfuade  you  that  are  his  faints, 
ci  to  join  me  in  blefling  and  praifing  his  holy 
cc  name."  He  concludes,  <c  May  the  bleff- 
cc  ing  of  the  God  of  Jacob  reft  upon  you 
f<  all  !  Adieu.  Written  in  great  hafte,  late,, 
€C  and  weary.' ' 

Scarce  can  I  here  refrain  from  breaking 
out  into  more  copious  reflexions  on  the  ex- 
quifite  pleafures  of  true  religion,  when  rifen 
to  fuch  eminent  degrees  ;  which  can  thus 
feaft  the  foul  in  its  folitude,  and  refrefh  it 
on  journeys  ;  and  bring  down  fo  much  of 
heaven  to  earth,  as  this  delightful  letter  ex- 
prefles.  But  the  remark  is  fo  obvious,  that 
I  will  not  enlarge  upon  it  ;  but  proceed  to 
the  other  letter  above  mentioned,  which  was 
written  the  next  month,  on  the  Tuefday  af- 
ter a  facrament  day. 

He  mentions  the  pleafure  with  which  he 
had  attended  a  preparation  fermon  the  Sat- 
urday 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       93 

urday  before  ;  and  then  he  adds,  <c  I  took  a 
c  walk  upon  the   mountains  that  are  over 
c  againft   Ireland  ;    and   I  perfuade  myfelf, 
f  that  were    I  capable  of  giving  you  a  de- 
c  fcription  of  what  palled  there,  you  would 
c  agree,  that   I  had   much  better  reafon   to 
1  remember  my  God  from  the  hills  of  Port 
c  Patrick,  than  David  from  the  land  of  Jor- 
c  dany  and  of  the  Hermonites,from  the  hill  of 
f  Mizar."     I   fuppofe   he   means  in  refer- 
ence to  the  clearer  difcoveries  of  the  gofpel 
with  which  we  are  favoured.     "  In  fhort," 
fays  he  immediately  afterwards,  in  that  fcrip- 
ture  phrafe  which  was  become  fo  familiar  to 
him,  "  I  wrejlled  fome  hours  with  the  Angel 
"  of  the  covenant,  and  made  fupplications  to 
"  himy  with  floods  of  tears  and  cries,  until  I 
cc  had  almoft  expired:   But  he  drengthened 
"  me  fo,  that  like    Jacob   I  had  power  with 
"  God,  and  prevailed.     This,"  adds  he,  "  is 
ct  but  a  very  faint  defcriptidn  :   You  will  be 
li  more  able  to  judge  of  it  by  what  you  have 
<f  felt  yourfelf  upon  the  like  occafions.      Af- 
<c  ter  luch  preparatory  work,  I  need  not  tell 
"  you,  how  bleffed  the  folemn  ordinance  of 
<c  the  Lord's  fupper  proved  to  me  ;   I  hope 
iC  it  was  fo  to  many.      You  may  believe,  I 
u  fhould  have  been   exceeding  glad,   if  my 
c!  gracious    Lord   had  ordered  it  fo,    that  I 
c(  might  have  made  you  a  vifit  as  I  propof- 

ed  ; 


94       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

cc  ed  :  But  I  am  now  glad  it  was  ordered 
ci  otherwife,  fince  he  hath  caufed^o  much  of 
<c  his  geodnefs  to  pafs  before  me.  Were  I  to 
rc  give  you  an  account  of  the  many  favours 
<c  my  God  hath  loaded  me  with,  fince  I 
€<  parted  from  you,  I  mull  have  taken  up 
u  many  days  in  nothing  but  writing.  I  hope 
Sf  you  will  join  with  me  in  praifes  for  all  the 
u  goodnefc  he  has  (hewn  to  your  unworthy 
n  brother  in  the  Lord." 

Such  were  the  ardours  and  elevations  of 
his  foul  :  But  while  I  record  thefe  memori- 
als of  them,  I  am  very  fenfible,  there  are 
many  who  will  be  inclined  to  cenfure  them 
as  the  flights  of  enthufiafm  ;  for  which  rea- 
fon  I  mud  beg  leave  to  add  a  remark  or  two* 
on  the  cccafion,  which  will  be  illuftrated  by 
feveral  other  extracts,  which  I  fhall  intro- 
duce into  the  fequel  of  thefe  memoirs.  The 
one  is,  that  he  never  pretends,  in  any  of  the 
paffages  cited  above,  or  elfewhere,  to  have- 
received  any  immediate  revelations  from 
God,  which  fliould  raife  him  above  the  or- 
dinary methods  of  inftruttion,  or  difcover 
anv  thing  to  him,  whether  of  doctrines  or 
fa6ls.  No  man  was  farther  from  pretending 
to  predict  future  events,  except  it  were  from 
the  moral  prognoftications  of  caufes  natur- 
ally tending  to  produce  them  ;  in  tracing  of 
which  he  had  indeed  an  b!e  fagaci 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       95 

as  I  have  feen  in  fome  very  remarkable  in- 
ftances.     Neither  was  he  at  all  inclinable  to 
govern  himfelf  by  fecret  impulfes  upon  his 
mind,  leading  him  to  things  for  which  he 
could  affign  no  reafon  but  the  impulfe  it- 
felf.     Had  he  ventured,  in  a  prefumption  on 
fuch  fecret  agitations  of  mind,  to  teach,  or 
to  do  any  thing,  not  warranted  by  the  dic- 
tates of  found  fenfe  and  the  word  of  God,  I 
fhould  readily  have  acknowledged  him  an 
enthufiaft  ;  unlefs  he  could  have  produced 
fome  other  evidence  than  his  own  perfua- 
fion,   to   have   fupported    the   authority  of 
them.     But  thefe  ardent  expreflions,  which 
fome  may  call  enthufiafm,  feem  only  to  evi- 
dence a  heart  deeply  affe6ted  with  a  fenfe  of 
the  divine  prefence  and  perfe&ions,  and  of 
that  love  which  paffeth  knowledge  ;   efpec- 
ially,  as  manifefted  in  our  redemption  by 
the  fon  of  God,  which  did  indeed  inflame 
his  whole  foul.      And  he  thought  he  might 
reafonably  afcribe  the  ftrong  impreffions,  to 
which  men  are  generally  fuch  ftrangers,  and 
of  which  he  had  long   been  entirely  defti- 
tute,  to  the  agency  or  influence  of  the  fpirit 
of  God  upon  his  heart ;   and  that,  in  pro- 
portion   to    the   degree    in    which    he  felt 
them,    he    might   properly    fay,    God    was 
mefent  with  him,  and   he   converfed   with 

God. 


96       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

God.*  Now  when  we  confider  the  fcrip- 
tural  phrafes,  of  walking  with  God,  of  having 
communion  with  the  Father  and  his  Son  Jefus 
Chrifi,  of  Chrifi' s  coming  to  them  that  open 
the  door  of  their  hearts  to  him,  and  Supping 
•with  them,  of  God's  /bedding  abroad  his  love 
in  the  heart  by  his  Spirit,  of  his  coming  with 
Jefus  Chrifi,  and  making  his  abode  with  any 
man  that  loves  him,  of  his  meeting  him  that 
worketh  right eoufnefs,  of  his  making  us  glad 
by  the  light  of  his  countenance,  and  a  variety 
of  other  equivalent  exprefhons ;  I  believe 
we  (hall  fee  reafon  to  judge  much  more  fa- 
vourably 

#  The  ingenious  and  pious  Mr.  Grove,  (who  I  think 
was  as  little  fufpecled  of  running  into  enthufiaftical  ex- 
tremes as  mod  divines  I  could  name)  has  a  noble  paiTage 
to  this  purpofe,  in  the  fixth  volume  of  his  Pofthumous 
Works,  p.  40,  41,  which  refpect  to  the  memory  of  both 
ihefe  excellent  peifons,  inclines  me  to  infert  here. — 
ci  How  often  are  good  thoughts  fuggefted,"  (viz.  to  the 
pure  in  heart)  "  heavenly  affections  kindled  and  inflamed  ! 
*'  How  often  is  the  Chriftian  prompted  to  holy  actions, 
il  drawn  to  his  duty,  reftored,  quickened,  perfuaded,  in 
(i  fuch  a  manner,  that  he  would  be  unjuft  to  the  fpirit  of 
4i  God,  to  queftion  his  agency  in  the  whole  !  Yes,  oh  my 
"  foul,  there  is  a  Supreme  Being,  who  governs  the  world, 
l(  and  is  prefent  with  it,  who  takes  up  his  more  fpecial 
li  habitation  in  good  men,  and  is  nigh  to  all  ivho  call  upon 
"  him,  to  fanclify  and  aflift  them  !  Hart:  thou  not  felt  him, 
<f  oh  my  foul,  like  another  foul,  actuating  thy  faculties,  ex- 
fl  alting  thy  views,  purifying  thy  pallions,  exciting  thy 
"  graces^  and  begetting  in  thee  an  abhorrence  of  fin,  and 
"  a  love  of  holinefs  ?  And  is  not  all  this  an  argument  of 
"his  prefence,  as  truly  as  if  thou  didjl  fee  him?'1 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       97 

vourably  of  fuch  expreffions  as  thofe  now  in 
queftion,  than  perfons  who  are  themfelves 
ftrangers  to  elevated  devotion,  and  perhaps 
converfe  but  little  with  their  Bible,  are  in- 
clined to  do  ;  efpecially  if  they  have,  as  ma- 
ny fuch  perfons  have,  a  temper  that  inclines 
them  to  cavil  and  find  fault.  And  I  mufl 
farther  obferve,  that  amidft  all  thofe  free- 
doms, with  which  this  eminent  Chriftian  o- 
pens  his  devout  heart  to  the  mod  intimate 
of  his  friends,  he  ftill  fpeaks  with  profound 
awe  and  reverence  of  his  heavenly  father, 
and  his  faviour,  and  maintains  (after  the  ex- 
ample of  the  facred  writers  themfelves)  a 
kind  of  dignity  in  his  expreffions,  fuitable  to 
fuch  a  fubjeft  ;  without  any  of  that  fond 
familiarity  of  language,  and  degrading  mean- 
nefs  of  phrafe,  by  which  it  is,  efpecially  of 
late,  grown  falhionable  among  fome,  (who 
neverthelefs  I  believe  mean  well)  to  exprefs 
their  love  and  their  humility. 

On  the  whole  ;  if  habitual  love  to  God, 
firm  faith  in  the  Lord  Jefus  Chrift,  a  fteady 
dependence  on  the  divine  promifes,  a  full 
perfuafion  of  the  wifdom  and  goodnefs  of 
all  the  difpenfations  of  providence,  a  high 
efteem  for  the  bleffings  of  the  heavenly 
world,  and  a  fincere  contempt  for  the  vani- 
ties of  this,  can  properly  be  called  enthufi- 
afm  ;  then  was  Colonel  Gardiner  indeed 
I  one 


98       LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

one  of  the  greateft  enthufiafts  our  age  has 
produced  ;  and  in  proportion  to  the  degree 
in  which  he  was  fo,  I  mult  efteem  him  one 
of  the  wifeft  and  happieft  of  mankind.  Nor 
do  I  fear  to  tell  the  world,  that  it  is  the  de- 
fign  of  my  writing  thefe  memoirs,  and  of 
every  thing  elfe  that  I  undertake  in  life,  to 
fpread  this  glorious  and  blefled  enthufiafm ; 
which  I  know  to  be  the  anticipation  of 
heaven,  as  well  as  the  mod  certain  way  to 
it. 

But  left  any  fhould  poffibly  imagine,  that 
allowing  the  experiences  which  have  been 
defcribed  above,  to  have  been  ever  fo  folid 
and  important,  yet  there  may  be  fome  ap- 
pearance of  boafting  in  fo  free  a  communi- 
cation of  them  ;  I  muft  add  to  what  I  have 
hinted  in  reference  to  this  above,  that  I  find 
in  many  of  the  papers  before  me  very  gen- 
uine expreffions  of  the  deepeft  humility  and 
felf  abafement  ;  which  indeed  fuch  holy 
converfe  with  God  in  prayer  and  praife, 
does  above  all  things  in  the  world  tend  to 
infpire  and  promote.  Thus  in  one  of  his 
letters  he  fays,  "  I  am  but  as  a  beafl  before 
"him."  Jn  another  he  calls  himfelf  "a 
"  miferable  hell  deferving  finner  :"  And  in 
another  he  cies  out,  "  Oh,  bow  good  a  maf- 
c<  ter  do  I  ferve  !  but  alas,  how  ungrateful 
"  am  I  !   What  can  be  fo  aftoniftiing  as  the 

i€  love 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       99 

"  love  of  Chrift  to  us,  uniefs  it  be  the  cold- 
"  nefs  of  our  finful  hearts  towards  fuch  a 
<c  Saviour  ?"  With  many  other  claufes  of 
the  like  nature,  which  1  fliall  not  fet  myfelf 
more  particularly  to  trace,  through  the  va- 
riety of  letters  in  which  they  occur. 

It  is  a  farther  inftance  of  this  unfeigned 
humility,  that  when  (as  his  lady  with  her 
ufual  propriety  of  language  exprefles  it,  in 
one  of  her  letters  to  me  concerning  him) 
u  thefe  divine  joys  and  confolations  were 
"  not  his  daily  allowance,"  he  with  equal 
freedom,  in  the  confidence  of  Chriftian 
friendfhip,  acknowledges  and  laments  it. 
Thus  in  the  fir  ft  letter  I  had  the  honour  of 
receiving  from  him,  dated  from  Leicefcer, 
July  9,  1739,  when  he  had  been  mentioning 
the  bleffing  with  which  it  had  pleafed  God 
to  attend  my  laft  addrefs  to  him,  and  the  in- 
influence  it  had  upon  his  mind,  he  adds, 
f*  Much  do  I  ftand  in  need  of  every  help,  to 
"  awaken  me  out  of  that  fpiritual  deadnefs, 
u  which  feizes  me  fo  often.  Once  indeed  it 
<c  was  quite  otherwife  with  me,  and  that  for 
<c  many  years  : 

"  Firm  was  my  health,  my  day  was  bright, 
u  And  I  prefum'd  'twould  ne'er  be  night : 
"  Fondly  I  faid  within  my  heart, 
"  Pleafure  and  peace  fhall  ne'er  depart, 

"  Bat 


loo      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

*'  But  I  forgot,  thine  arm  was  ftrong, 

u  Which  made  my  mountain  ftand  fo  long ; 

"  Soon  as  thy  face  began  to  hide, 

**  My  health  was  gone,  my  comforts  died." 

"  And  here,"  adds  he,  "  lies  my  fin,  and 
my  folly." 

I  mention  this,  that  the  whole  matter  may 
be  feen  juft  as  it  was,  and  that  other  Chriftians 
may  not  be  difcouraged,  if  they  feel  fome  a- 
batement  of  that  fervour,  and  of  thofe  holy 
joys,  which  they  may  have  experienced  dur- 
ing fome  of  the  firft  months  or  years  of  their 
fpiritual  life.  But  with  relation  to  the  Col- 
onel, I  have  great  reafon  to  believe,  that 
thefe  which  he  laments  as  his  days  of  fpir- 
itual deadnefs  were  not  unanimated  ;  and 
that  quickly  after  the  date  of  this  letter,  and 
efpecially  nearer  the  clofe  of  his  life,  he  had 
farther  revivings,  as  the  joyful  anticipation 
of  thofe  better  things  in  referve,  which  were 
then  nearly  approaching.  And  thus  Mr. 
Spears,  in  the  letter  I  mentioned  above, 
tells  us  he  related  the  matter  to  him  ;  (for  he 
ftudies  as  much  as  poflible  to  retain  the 
Colonel's  own  words  :J  "  However,"  fays 
he,  "  after  that  happy  period  of  fenfible 
u  communion,  though  mv  joys  and  enlarge- 
"  ments  were  not  fo  overflowing  and  fenfi- 
cc  ble,  yet  I  have  had  habitual  real  commun- 
iC  ion  with  God  from  that  day  to  this  ;"  the 

latter 


LIFEof  Col.  GARDINER.      101 

latter  end  of  the  year  1743  ;  cc  and  I  know 
<c  myfelf,  and  all  that  know  me  fee,  that 
c<  through  the  grace  of  God,  to  which  I  af- 
<c  cribe  all,  my  converfation  has  been  be- 
"  coming  the  gofpel ;  and  let  me  die,  when- 
€<  ever  it  fliall  pleafe  God,  or  wherever  it 
"  fhall  be,  I  am  fure  I  fhall  go  to  the  man- 
"  fions  of  eternal  glory,"  &c.  And  this  is 
perfedtly  agreeable  to  the  manner  in  which 
he  ufed  to  fpeak  to  me  on  this  head,  which 
we  have  talked  over  frequently  and  largely. 
In  this  connexion  I  hope  my  reader  will 
forgive  my  inferting  a  little  ftory^  which  I 
received  from  a  very  worthy  minifter  in 
Scotland,  and  which  I  fhall  give  in  his  own 
words  :  "In  this  period,"  meaning  that 
which  followed  the  firft  feven  years  after  his 
converfion,  "  when  his  complaint  of  com-. 
"  parative  deadnefs  and  languor  in  religion 
u  began,  he  had  a  dream  ;  which,  though 
Cl  he  had  no  turn  at  all  for  taking  notice  of 
M  dreams,  yet  made  a  very  ftrong  impreflion 
"  upon  his  mind.  He  imagined  that  he 
u  faw  his  blefled  Redeemer  on  earth,  and 
"  that  he  was  following  him  through  a  large 
K  field,  following  him  whom  his  foul  loved, 
"  but  much  troubled,  becaufe  he  thought 
u  his  bleflfed  Lord  did  not  fpeak  to  him  ; 
**  till  he  came  up  to  the  gate  of  a  burying 
"  place,  when  turning  about  he  fmiled  upon 
I  2  lf  him 


102      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

u  him,  in  fuch  a  manner  as  filled  his  foul 
<c  with  the  mod  ravifhing  joy  ;  and  on  after 
"  refle&ion  animated  his  faith,  in  believing 
cc  that  whatsoever  ftorms  and  darknefs  he 
u  might  meet  with  in  the  way,  at  the  hour 
u  of  death  his  glorious  Redeemer  would 
cc  lift  up  upon  him  the  light  of  his  life  giv- 
u  ing  countenance."  My  correfpondent 
adds  a  circumftance,  for  which  he  makes 
fome  apology,  as  what  may  feem  whimfical, 
and  yet  made  fome  impreffion  on  himfelf; 
<c  that  there  was  a  remarkable  refemblance 
"  in  the  field  in  which  this  brave  man  met 
u  death,  and  that  he  had  reprefented  to  him 
u  in  the  dream."  I  did  not  fully  under- 
ftand  this  at  firft  ;  but  a  paffage  in  that  let- 
ter from  Mr.  Spears,  which  I  have  men- 
tioned more  than  once,  has  cleared  it. 
u  Now  obferve,  Sir,  this  feems  to  be  a  liter- 
"  al  defcription  of  the  place  where  this 
**  Chriftian  Hero  ended  his  forrows  and 
u  conflifis,  and  from  which  he  entered  tri- 
u  umphantly  into  the  joys  of  his  Lord.  For 
*c  after  he  fell  in  the  battle,  fighting  glori- 
*'  oufly  for  his  King  and  the  caufe  of  his 
u  God,  his  wounded  body,  while  life  was 
*f  yet  remaining,  was  carried  from  the  field 
fi  of  battle  by  the  eaft  fide  of  his  own  inclo- 
"  fure,  till  he  came  to  the  church  yard  of 
"  Tranet,  and  was  brought  to  the  minifter's 

<c  houfe> 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      103 

u  houfe,  where  he  foon  after  breathed  out 
u  his  foul  into  the  hands  of  his  Lord,  and 
<c  was  conduced  to  his  prefence,  where  there 
cc  is  fulnefs  of  joy ,  without  any  cloud  of  in-- 
"  terrupt ion  forever." 

I  well  know,  that  in  dreams  there  are  di- 
verfe  vanities,  and  readily  acknowledge,  that 
nothing  certain  could  be  inferred  from  this  : 
Yet  it  feems  at  leaf!  to  Ihew,  which  way  the 
imagination  was  working,  even  in  fleep  ;  and 

I  cannot  think  it  unworthy  of  a  wife  and 
good  man;  fometimes  to  reflect  with  com- 
placency on  any  images,  which  paffing 
through  his  mind  even  in  that  ftate,  may 
tend  either  to  exprefs,  or  to  quicken,  his 
love  to  the  great  Saviour.  Thofe  eminent- 
ly pious  divines  of  the  church  of  England,, 
Bifhop  Bull,  and  Biftiop  Kenn,  do  both  in- 
timate it  as  their  opinion,  that  it  may  be  a 
part  of  the  fervice  of  miniftering  angels  to 
fuggeft  devout  dreams  :*  And  I  know,  that 

the 

*  Bifnop  Bull  has  thefe  remarkable  wards:  "  Although 
M  I  am  no  doater  on  dreams,  yet  I  verily  believe,  that 
il  fome  dreams  are  monitory,  above  the  power  of  fancy, 

II  and  imprefTed  upon  us  by  fome  fuperior  influence.  For 
"  of  fuch  dreams  we  have  plain  and  undeniable  inftances 
11  in  hiftory,  both  facred  and  profane,  and  in  our  own  age 
"  and  obiervation.  Nor  ihall  I  fo  value  the  laughter  of 
"  fceptics,  and  the  feoffs  of  the  Epicureans,  as  to  be  afham- 
"  ed  to  profefs,  that  I  myfelf  have  had  fome  convincing 
u  experiments  of  fuch  impreffions." 

Bi/b.  Bull's  Serm,  <voL  II.  p,  489,  490, 


*e4      £IFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

the  worthy  perfon  of  whom  I  fpeak,  was 
well  acquainted  with  that  midnight  hymn  of 
the  latter  of  thofe  excellent  writers,  which 
has  thefe  lines  : 

"  L©rd,  left  the  tempter  me  furprife, 
"  Watch  over  thine  own  facrifice  ! 
•«  All  loofe,  all  idle  thoughts  caft  out, 
u  And  make  my  very  dreams  devout  !"' 

Nor  would  it  be  difficult  to  produce  other 
paffages  much  to  the  fame  pnrpofe,*  if  it 
would  not  be  deemed  too  great  a  digreffion 
from  our  fubjeft,  and  too  laboured  a  vindi- 
cation of  a  little  incident,  of  very  fmall  im- 
portance, when  compared  with  moft  of  thofe 
which  make  up  this  narrative. 

I  meet  not  with  any  other  remarkable  e- 
vent  relating  to  Major  Gardiner,  which  can 

properly 

*  If  I  miftake  not,  the  fame  Bifhop  Kenn  is  the  author 
of  a  midnight  hymn,  concluding  with  thefe  words; 
"May  my  etherial  guardian  kindly  fpread 
«*  His  wings,  and  from  the  tempter  fcreen  my  head; 
M  Grant  of  celeftial  "light  fome  piercing  beams, 
€l  To  blefs  my  fleep,  and  fanclify  my  dreams !" 

As  he  certainly  was  of  thofe  exaclty  parallel  lines — 
"  Oh  may  my  guardian  while  I  fleep, 
"  Clofe  to  my  bed  his  vigils  keep  j 
•'  His  love  angelical  infill , 
U  Stop  all  the  avenues  of  ill  ! 
*f  May  he  celeftial  joys  rehearfe, 
"  Andthought  to  thought  with  me  ccnverfe  \" 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      105 

properly  be  introduced  here,  till  the  year 
1726;  when,  on  the  11th  of  July,  he  was 
married  to  the  Right  Hon.  the  Lady  Frances 
Erfkine,  daughter  to  the  late  Earl  of  Bu- 
chan,  by  whom  he  had  thirteen  children, 
five  only  of  which  furvived  their  father,  two 
fons  and  three  daughters  :  Whom  I  cannot 
mention  without  the  mod  fervent  prayers  to 
God  for  them,  that  they  may  always  behave 
worthy  the  honour  of  being  defcended  from 
fuch  parents ;  and  that  the  God  of  their  fa- 
ther, and  of  their  mother,  may  make  them 
perpetually  the  care  of  his  providence,  and 
yet  more  eminently  happy  in  the  conflant 
and  abundant  influences  of  his  grace  ! 

As  her  iadyfhip  is  (li!I  living,  (and  for  the 
fake  of  her  dear  offspring,  and  numerous 
friends,  may  fhe  long  be  fpared)  I  fhall  not 
here  indulge  myfelf  in  faying  any  thing  of 
her,  except  it  be,  that  the  Colonel  allured 
me,  when  he  had  been  happy  in  this  intimate 
relation  to  her  more  than  fourteen  years, 
that  the  greateft  imperfe6tion  he  knew  in  her 
charafter  was,  c<  that  fhe  valued  and  loved 
u  him,  much  more  than  he  defefved."  And 
little  did  he  think,  in  the  fimplicity  of  heart 
with  which  he  fpoke  this,  how  high  an  en- 
comium he  was  making  upon  her,  and  how 
lailing  an  honour  fuch  a  teftimony  muft 

leave 


loo      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

leave  upon  her  name,  as  long  as  the  memo- 
ry of  it  (hall  continue. 

As  I  do  not  intend  in  thefe  memoirs  a 
laboured  effay  on  the  chara&er  of  Colonel 
Gardiner,  digefted  under  the  various  vir- 
tues and  graces  which  Chriftianity  requires, 
(which  would,  I  think,  be  a  little  too  formal 
for  a  work  of  this  kind,  and  would  give  it 
fuch  an  air  of  panegyric,  as  would  neither 
fuit  my  defign,  nor  be  at  all  likely  to  render 
it  more  ufeful ;)  I  (hall  now  mention  what 
I  have  either  obferved  in  him,  or  heard  con- 
cerning him,  with  regard  to  thofe  domeftic 
relations  which  commenced  about  this  time, 
or  quickly  after.  And  here  my  reader  will 
eafily  conclude,  that  the  refolution  of  Joflhua 
was  from  the  firft  adopted  and  declared,  As 
for  ?ne,  and  my  houfe,  we  vjillfcrve  the  Lord. 
It  will  naturally  be  fuppofed,  that  as  foon  as 
he  had  a  houfe,  he  ere£ied  an  altar  in  it  ; 
that  the  word  of  God  was  read  there,  and 
prayers  and  praifes  were  con  flan tly  offered. 
Thefe  were  not  to  be  omitted,  on  account  of 
any  gueft  ;  for  he  efteemed  it  a  part  of  due 
refpeft  to  thofe  that  remained  under  his 
roof,  to  take  it  for  granted,  they  would  look 
upon  it  as  a  very  bad  compliment,  to  imag- 
ine they  would  have  been  obliged,  by  neg- 
lefting  the  duties  of  religion  on  their  ac- 
count.    As  his  family  increased,  he  had  a 

minifter 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      107 

minifter  ftatedly  refident  in  his  houfe,  who 
both  difcharged  the  office  of  a  tutor  to  his 
children,  and  of  a  chaplain;  and  who  was 
always  treated  with  a  becoming  kindnefs 
and  refpe£L  But  in  his  abfence,  the  Colo- 
nel himfelf  led  the  devotions  of  the  family ; 
and  they  were  happy,  who  had  an  opportu- 
nity of  knowing,  with  how  much  folemnity, 
fervour,  and  propriety,  he  did  it. 

He  was  conftant  in  attendance  upon  pub- 
lick  worfhip,  in  which  an  exemplary  care 
was  taken,  that  the  children  and  fervants 
might  accompany  the  heads  of  the  family. 
And  how  he  would  have  refented  the  non 
attendance  of  any  member  of  it,  may  eafily 
be  conjectured,  from  a  free,  but  lively  paf- 
fage,  in  a  letter  to  one  of  his  intimate  friends, 
on  an  occafion  which  it  is  not  material  to 
mention  :  "  Oh,  Sir,  had  a  child  of  yours 
c<  under  my  roof,  but  once  negle&ed  the 
cc  publick  worfhip  of  God,  when  he  was  able 
a  to  attend  it,  I  fhould  have  been  ready  to 
u  conclude  he  had  been  diftra&ed,  and 
<f  fliould  have  thought  of  {having  his  head, 
Cf  and  confining  him  in  a  dark  rooTO." 

He  always  treated  his  Lady  with  a  manly 
tendernefs,  giving  her  the  mod  natural  evi- 
dences of  a  cordial  habitual  efteem,  and  ex- 
prefling  a  mod  affe&ionate  fympathy  with 
Jjer,  under  the  infirmities  of  a  very  delicate 

confutation. 


1 

to8      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

conftitution,  much  broken,  at  leaft  towards 
the  latter  years  of  their  marriage,  in  confe- 
quence  of  fo  frequent  pregnancy.  He  had 
at  all  times  a  moft  faithful  care  of  all  her 
interefts,  and  efpecially  thofe  relating  to  the 
ftate  of  religion  in  her  mind.  His  conver- 
fation  and  his  letters  concurred  to  cherifh 
thofe  fublime  ideas  which  Ghriftanity  fug- 
gefts  ;  to  promote  our  fubmiffion  to  the 
will  of  God,  to  teach  us  to  center  our  hap- 
pinefs  in  the  great  Author  of  our  being,  and 
to  live  by  faith  in  the  invifible  world.  Thefe, 
no  doubt,  were  frequently  the  fubje&s  of 
mutual  difcourfe  :  And  many  letters,  which 
her  Lady  Chip  has  had  the  goodnefs  to  com- 
municate to  me,  are  moft  convincing  evi- 
dences of  the  degree  in  which  this  noble  and 
moft  friendly  care  filled  his  mind,  in  the 
days  of  their  feparation  ;  days,  which  fo 
entire  a  mutual  affe&ion  muft  have  ren- 
dered exceeding  painful,  had  they  not  been 
fupported  by  fuch  exalted  feniiments  of 
piety,  and  fweetened  by  daily  communion 
with  an  ever  prefent  and  ever  gracious  God. 
The  neceffity  of  being  fo  many  months 
together  diftant  from  his  family,  hindered 
.him  from  many  of  thofe  condescending  la- 
bours in  cultivating  the  minds  of  his  child- 
ren in  early  life,  which  to  a  foul  fo  benevo- 
lent, fo  wife,  and  fo  zealous,  would  un- 
doubtedly 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      109 

doubtedly  have  afforded  a  very  exquifite 
pleafure.  The  care  of  his  worthy  confort, 
who  well  knew  that  it  is  one  of  the  brighteft 
parts  of  a  mother's  chara&er,  and  one  of  the 
molt  important  views  in  which  the  fex  can 
be  confidered,  made  him  the  eafier  under 
fuch  a  circumftance  :  But  when  he  was  with 
them,  he  failed  not  to  iriftruft  and  admonifh 
them  ;  and  the  conftant  deep  fenfe  with 
which  he  fpoke  of  divine  things,  and  the  real 
unaffe&ed  indifference  which  he  always 
(hewed  for  what  this  vain  world  is  mod 
Teady  to  admire,  were  excellent  leffons  of 
daily  wifdom,  which  I  hope  they  will  recol- 
left  with  advantage  in  every  future  fcene  of 
life.  And  I  have  feen  fuch  hints  in  his  let- 
ters relating  to  them,  as  plainly  fhew  with 
how  great  a  weight  they  lay  on  his  mind, 
and  how  highly  he  defired  above  all  things, 
that  they  might  be  the  faithful  difciples  of 
Chrift  ;  and  acquainted  betimes  with  the 
unequalled  pleasures  and  bleflings  of  relig- 
ion. He  thought  an  excefs  of  delicacy,  and 
of  indulgence,  one  of  the  mofl  dangerous 
faults  in  education,  by  which  he  every  where 
faw  great  numbers  of  young  people  undone  : 
yet  he  was  folicitous  to  guard  againft  a  fe- 
verity,  which  might  terrify  or  difcourage  ; 
and  though  he  endeavoured  to  take  all  pru- 
dent precautions  to  prevent  the  commiffion 
K  of 


no      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

of  faults,  yet,  when  they  had  been  commit- 
ted, and  there  feemed  to  be  a  fenfe  of  them, 
he  was  always  ready  to  make  the  rood  can- 
did allowances  for  the  thougbtleffnefs  of 
unripened  years,  ^nd  tenderly  to  cherifh  ev- 
ery purpofe  of  a  more  proper  conduft  for 
the  time  to  come. 

It  was  eafy  to  perceive,  that  the  openings 
of  genius  in  the  young  branches  of  his  fam- 
ily gave  him  great  delight,  and  that  he  had 
a  fecret  ambition  to  fee  them  excel  in  what 
they  undertook.  Yet  he  was  greatly  cau- 
tious over  his  heart,  left  it  fhould  be  too 
fondly  attached  to  them  ;  and  as  he  was  one 
of  the  mod  eminent  proficients  I  ever  knew 
in  the  bleffed  fcience  of  refignation  to  the 
divine  will,  fo  there  was  no  effeft  of  that 
refignation  which  appeared  to  me  more  ad- 
mirable than  what  related  to  the  life  of  his 
children.  An  experience,  which  no  length 
of  time  will  ever  efface  out  of  my  memory, 
has  fo  fenfibly  taught  me,  how  difficult  it  is 
fully  to  fupport  the  Chriftian  charafter  here, 
that  I  hope  my  reader  will  pardon  me,  (I 
am  fure  at  leaft  the  heart  of  wounded  par- 
ents will)  if  I  dwell  a  little  longer  upon  fo 
interefting  a  fubjeft. 

When  he  was  in  Herefordfhire,  in  the 
month  of  July,  1734,  it  pleafed  God  to  vifit 
his  little  family  with  the  fmall  pox.     Five 

days 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER,      m 

days  before  the  date  of  the  letter  I  am  juft 
going  to  mention,  he  had  received  the  agree- 
able news,  that  there  was  a  profpeft  of  the 
recovery  of  his  fon,  then  under  that  awful 
vifitation  ;  and  he  had  been  expreffing  his 
thankfulnefs  for  it,  in  a  letter  which  he  had 
fent  away  but  a  few  hours  before  he  was  in- 
formed of  his  death,  the  furprize  of  which, 
in  this  connexion,  mull  naturally  be  very- 
great.  But  behold  (fays  the  reverend  and 
worthy  perfon  from  whom  I  received  the 
cop}')  his  truly  filial  fubmifiion  to  the  will 
of  his  heavenly  father^  hi  the  following  lines 
addrefifed  to  the  dear  partner  of  his  affli&ion  : 
u  Your  refignation  to  the  will  of  God  under 
<c  this  difpenfation  gives  me  more  joy,  than 
"  the  death  of  the  child  has  given  me  for- 
u  row.  He  to  be  fure  is  happy  ;  and  we 
"  fhall  go  to  him,  though  he  fhall  not  return 
"  to  us.  Oh  that  we  had  our  latter  end  al- 
<c  ways  \A  view! — We  fhall  foon  follow; 
"  and  oh  wSfet  reafon  have  we  to  long  for 
"  that  glorious  day,  when  we  fhall  get  quit 
"  of  this  body  of  Jin  and  death,  under  which 
"  we  now  groan,  and  which  renders  this  life 
lc  fo  wretched  !   1   defire  to  blefs   God  that 

" [another  of  his  children]   is  ia  fo 

w  good  a  way  :    But  I  have  refigned  her. 

*  We  mud  not  chufe  for  ourfelves  ;  and  it 

<f  is  well  we  mud  not,  for  we  fhould  often 

make 


ii2      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

"  make  a  very  bad  choice.  And  therefore 
<€  it  is  our  wifdom,  as  well  as  our  duty,  to 
Cf  leave  all  with  a  gracious  God  ;  who  hath 
u  promifedj  that  all things  Jhall  work  together 
u  for  good  to  thofe  that  love  him  :  And  he  is 
u  faithful  that  hath  promifed,  who  will  in- 
u  fallibly  perform  it,  if  our  unbelief  does 
cc  not  ftand  in  the  way.*' 

The  greateft  trial  of  this  kind  that  he  ever 
bore,,  was  in  the  removal  of  his  fecond  fon, 
who  was  one  of  the  mof!  amiable  and  prom* 
ifmg  children  that  has  been  known.  The 
dear  little  creature  was  the  darling  of  all  who 
knew  him  ;  and  promifed  very  fair,  fo  far  as 
a  child  could  be  known  by  its  doings,  to 
have  been  a  great  ornament  to  the  family, 
and  bleflTing  to  the  public.  The  fuddennefs 
of  the  ftroke  muft,  no  doubt,  render  it  the 
more  painful ;  for  this  beloved  child  was 
fnatched  away  by  an  illnefs,  which  feized 
him  but  about  i%  hours  before  i4:  carried 
him  off.  He  died  in  the  month  of  Oftober, 
1733,  at  near  fix  years  old.  Their  friends 
were  ready  to  fear,  that  his  affe6lionate  par- 
ents would  be  almoft  overwhelmed  with 
fuch  a  lofs  :  But  the  happy  father  had  fo 
firm  a  perfuafion,  that  God  had  received  the 
dear  little  one  to  the  felicities  of  the  celeftial 
world  ;  and  at  the  fame  time  had  fo  ftrong 
a  fenfe  of  the  divine  goodnefs^  in  taking  one 

of 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      113 

of  his  children,  and  that  too,  one  who  lay  fo 
near  his  heart,  fo  early  to  himfelf ;  that  the 
forrows  of  nature  were  quite  fwallowed  up 
in  the  fublime  joy  which  thefe  confidera- 
tions  adminiftered.  When  he  refle&ed, 
what  human  life  is ;  how  many  its  fnares 
and  temptations  are  ;  and  how  frequently 
children,  who  once  promifed  well,  are  in- 
fenfibly  corrupted,  and  at  length  undone  ; 
with  Solomon,  he  blejfed  the  dead  already 
dead,  more  than  the  living  who  were  yet  alive, 
and  felt  an  unfpeakable  pleafure  in  looking 
after  the  lovely  infant  as  fafely  and  delight- 
fully lodged  in  the  houfe  of  its  heavenly  fa- 
ther. Yea,  he  affured  me,  that  his  heart  was 
at  this  time  fo  entirely  taken  up  with  thefe 
views,  that  he  was  afraid,  they  who  did  not 
thoroughly  know  him,  might  fufpeft  that  he 
was  deficient  in  the  natural  affefiions  of  a 
parent ;  while  thus  borne  above  the  anguifh 
of  them,  by  the  views  which  faith  adminif- 
tered to  him,  and  which  divine  grace  fup- 
ported  in  his  foul. 

So  much  did  he,  on  one  of  the  mod  try- 
ing occaiions  of  life,  fnanifeft  of  the  temper 
of  a  glorified  faint ;  and  to  fuch  happy  pur- 
poses did  he  retain  thofe  leflbns  of  fubmif- 
fion  to  God,  and  acquiefcence  in  him,  which 
I  remember  he  once  inculcated  in  a  letter 
he  wrote  to  a  lady  of  quality,  under  the  ap- 
K  2  prehenfion 


H4      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

prehenfion  of  a  breach  in  her  family,  with 
which  providence  feeiried  to  threaten  her, 
which  I  am  willing  to  infert  here,  though  a 
little  out  of  what  might  feem  its  mod  proper 
place,  rather  than  entirely  to  omit  it.  It  is 
dated  from  London,  June  16,  1722,  when 
fpeaking  of  the  dangerous  illnefs  of  a  dear 
relative,  he  has  thefe  words:  "  When  my 
u  mind  runs  hither,'*  that  is,  to  God,  as  its 
refuge  and  ftrong  defence,  as  the  connexion 
plainly  determines  it,  "  I  think  I  can  bear 
f<  any  thing,  the  lofs  of  all,  the  lofs  of  health, 
"  of  relations  on  whom  I  depend,  and  whom 
"  I  love,  alt  that  is  dear  to  me,  without  re- 
u  pining  or  murmuring*  When  I  think, 
u  that  God  orders,  difpofes,  and  manages  all 
u  things,  according  to  the  counfel  of  his  own 
u  will ;  when  I  think  of  the  extent  of  his 
c<  providence,  that  it  reaches  to  the  minuteft 
c<  things  ;  then,  though  a  ufeful  friend  or 
<(  dear  relative  be  fnatched  away  by  death, 
u  I  recall  myfelf,  and  check  my  thoughts 
u  with  thefe  considerations.  Is  he  not  God, 
f<  from  everlajlingy  and  to  overlaying  ?  And 
c<  has  he  not  promifed  to  be  a  God  to  me  ? 
"  A  God  in  all  his  attributes,  a  God  in  all 
f<  his  perfons,  a  God  in  all  bis  creatures  and 
"  providences  ?  And  fhall  I  dare  to  fay, 
cc  What  fhall  I  do  ?  Wis  not  he  the  infinite 
"  caufe  of  all  I  met  with  in  the  creatures  ? 

And 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      115 

u  And  were  not  they  the  finite  effe&s  of  his 
u  infinite  love  and  kindnefs  ?  I  have  daily 
iC  experienced,  that  the  inftrument  was,  and 
M  is,  what  God  makes  it  to  be  ;  and  I  know, 
u  that  this  God  hath  the  hearts  of  all  men  in 
"  his  hands,  and  the  earth  is  the  Lord's,  and 
"  the  fulnefs  thereof.  If  this  earth  be  good 
u  for  me',  I  fhall  have  it,  for  my  father  hath 
u  it  all  in  poffeflion.  If  favour  in  the  eyes 
"  of  men  be  good  for  me,  I  fhall  have  it; 
"  for  the  fpring  of  every  motion  in  the  heart 

"  of  man  is  in  God's  hand.     My  dear 

"  feems  now  to  be  dying  ;  but  God  is  all 
Cf  wife,  and  every  thing  is  done  by  him  for 
"  the  beft.  Shall  I  hold  back  any  thing 
"  that  is  his  own,  when  he  requires  it  ?  No, 
u  God  forbid  !  When  I  confider  the  excel- 
11  lency  of  his  glorious  attributes.  I  am  fatis-^ 
"  fied  with  all  his  dealings. V  I  perceive 
by  the  introdu6lion,  and  what  follov/s,  that 
moft,  if  not  all  of  this,  is  a  quotation  from 
fomething  written  by  a  lady ;  but  whether 
from  fome  manufcript,  or  a  printed  book, 
whether  exaftly  tranfcribed,  or  quoted  from 
memory,  I  cannot  determine  :  And  there- 
fore I  thought  proper  to  infert  it,  as  the 
Major  (for  that  was  the  office  be  bore  then) 
by  thus  interweaving  it  with  his  letter  makes 
it  his  own  ;  and  as  it  feems  to  exprefs  in  a 
very  lively   manner   the  principles   which 

bore 


n6      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

bore  him  on  to  a  condufl  fo  truly  great  and 
heroic,  in  circumftances  that  have  over- 
whelmed many  an  heart,  that  could  have 
faced  danger  and  death  with  the  greateft  in- 
trepidity. 

I  return  now  to  confider  his  chara6ler  in 
the  domeftic  relation  of  a  matter,  on  which 
I  (hall  not  enlarge.  It  is  however  proper 
to  remark,  that  as  his  habitual  meeknefs  and 
command  of  his  paffions,  prevented  inde- 
cent Tallies  of  ungovernable  anger  towards 
thofe  in  the  loweft  ftate  of  fubjeftion  to  him, 
(by  which  fome  in  high  life  do  ftrangely  de- 
bafe  themfelves,  and  lofe  much  of  their  au- 
thority) fo  the  natural  greatnefs  of  his  mind 
made  him  folicitous  to  render  their  inferior 
ftations  as  eafy  as  he  could;  and  fo  much 
the  rather,  becaufe  he  confidered  all  the 
children  of  Adam,  as  fianding  upon  a  level 
before  their  great  Creator,  and  had  alfo  a 
deeper  fenfe  of  the  dignity  and  worth  of 
every  immortal  foul,  how  meanly  foever  it 
might  chance  to  be  lodged,  than  moft  per- 
fons  I  have  known.  This  engaged  him  to 
give  his  fervants  frequent  religious  exhorta- 
tions and  inftruftions,  as  I  have  been  affured 
by  feveral  who  were  fo  happy  as  to  live 
with  him  under  that  chara&er.  One  of  the 
firft  letters  after  he  entered  on  his  Chriftian 
courfe,  expreffes  the  fame  difpofition  ;  in 

which 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      117 

which  with  great  tendernefs  he  recommends 
a  fervant,  who  was  in  a  bad  ftate  of  health,  to 
his  mother's  care,  as  he  was  well  acquainted 
with  her  condefcending  temper  ;  mention- 
ing at  the  fame  time  the  endeavours  he  had 
ufed,  to  promote  his  preparations  for  a  bet- 
ter world,  under  an  apprehenfion  that  he 
would  not  continue  long  in  this.  And  we 
fhall  have  an  affe&ing  inftance  of  the  prev- 
alency  of  the  fame  difpofition,  in  the  clofing 
fcene  of  his  life,  and  indeed  in  the  laft  words 
he  ever  fpoke,  which  expreffed  his  generous 
folicitude  for  the  fafety  of  a  faithful  fervant, 
who  was  then  near  him. 

As  it  was  a  few  years  after  his  marriage 
that  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel,  in  which  he  continued  till 
he  had  a  regiment  of  his  own,  I  fhall  for  the 
future  fpeak  of  him  by  that  title  ;  and  may 
not  perhaps  find  any  more  proper  place,  in 
which  to  mention,  what  it  is  proper  for  me 
to  fay  of  his  behaviour  and  conduft  as  an 
officer.  I  fhall  not  here  enlarge  on  his 
bravery  in  the  field,  though  that  was  very 
remarkable,  as  I  have  heard  from  others  :  I 
fay,  from  others,  for  I  never  heard  any  thing 
of  that  kind  from  hirnfelf,  nor  knew,  till  af- 
ter his  death,  that  he  was  prefent  at  almoft 
every  battle  that  was  faught  in  Flanders^ 
while  the  illuftrious  Duke  of  Marlborough. 

commanded 


ai8      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

commanded  the  allied  army  there.  I  have 
alfo  been  allured  from  feveral  credible  per- 
fons,  fome  of  whom  were  eye  witneffes,  that 
at  the  fkirmifh  with  the  rebels  at  Prefton  in 
Lancafhire,  (thirty  years  before  that  engage- 
ment at  the  other  Prefton,  which  deprived 
us  of  this  gallant  guardian  of  his  country) 
he  fignalized  himfelf  very  particularly  :  For 
he  headed  a  little  body  of  men,  I  think  a- 
bout  twelve,  and  fet  fire  to  the  barricado  of 
the  rebels,  in  the  face  of  their  whole  army, 
while  they  were  pouring  in  their  fhot,  by 
which  eight  of  the  twelve  that  attended  him 
fell.  This  was  the  laft  a&ion  of  the  kind  in 
which  he  was  engaged,  before  the  long  peace 
which  enfued  :  And  who  can  exprefs  how 
happy  it  was  for  him,  and  indeed  for  his 
country,  of  which  he  was  ever  fo  generous, 
and  in  his  latter  vears  fo  important  a  friend, 
that  he  did  not  fall  then  ;  when  the  profane- 
nefs  which  mingled  itfelf  with  this  martial 
rage,  feemed  to  rend  the  heavens,  and  (hock- 
ed fome  other  military  gentlemen,  who  were 
not  themfelves  remarkable  for  their  caution 
in  this  refpe£t. 

But  I  infift  not  on  things  of  this  nature, 
which  the  true  greatnefs  of  his  foul  would 
hardly  ever  permit  him  to  mention,  unlefs 
when  it  tended  to  illuftrate  the  divine  care 
over  him  in  thefe  extremities  of  danger,  and 

the 


LIFEof  Col,  GARDINER.      119 

the  grace  of  God  in  calling  him  from  fo  a- 
bandonvrd  a  ftate.  It  is  well  known,  that 
the  charaftsr  of  an  officer  is  not  only  to  be 
approved  in  the  day  of  combat.  Colonel 
Gardiner  was  truly  fenfible,  that  every  day 
brought  its  duties  along  with  it ;  and  he  was 
conftantly  careful,  that  no  pretence  of  amufe- 
ment,  friendfhip,  or  even  devotion  itfelf, 
xnight  prevent  their  being  discharged  in  their 
feafon.  ( 

I  doubt  not,  but  the  noble  perfoas  in 
whofe  regiment  he  was  Lieut.  Colonel,  will 
always  be  ready  to  bear  an  honourable  and 
grateful  teftimony  to  his  exemplary  diligence 
and  fidelity,  in  all  that  related  to  the  care  of 
the  troops  over  which  he  was  fet,  whether 
with  regard  to  the  men  or  the  horfes.  He 
knew,  that  it  is  incumbent  on  thofe  who 
have  the  honour  of  prefiding  over  others, 
whether  in  civil,  ecclefiaftical,  or  military 
offices,  not  to  content  themfelves  with  doing 
only  fo  much  as  may  preferve  them  from 
the  reproach  of  grofs  and  vifible  negleft  ; 
but  ferioufly  to  confider,  how  much  they 
can  poffibly  do,  without  going  out  of  their 
proper  fphere,  to  ferve  the  public,  by  the 
due  infpe6tion  of  thofe  committed  to  their 
care.  The  duties  of  the  clofet  and  of  the 
fan&uary,  were  fo  adjufted,  as  not  to  inter- 
*  fere  with  thofe  of  the  parade,  or  any  other 

place 


•i*o     LIFE  of  Cou  GARDINER, 

place  where  the  welfare  of  the  regiment  call- 
ed him,  On  the  other  hand,  he  was  folic- 
itous,  not  to  fuffer  thefe  things  to  interfere 
with  religion  ;  a  due  attendance  to  which  he 
apprehended  to  be  the  fureit  method  of  at- 
taining all  defirable  fuccels  in  every  other 
intereft  and  concern  in  life.  He  therefore 
abhorred  every  thing  that  fliould  look  like  a 
contrivance  to  keep  his  foldiers  employed 
about  their  horfes  and  their  arms  at  the  fea- 
fcms  of  public  worfhip;  (an  indecency,  which 
I  wifli  there  were  no  room  to  mention  :)  Far 
from  that,  he  ufed  to  have  them  drawn  up 
juft  before  it  began,  and  from  the  parade 
they  went  off  to  the  houfe  of  God.  He 
underftood  the  rights  of  confcience  too  well, 
to  impofe  his  own  particular  profeflion  in 
religion  on  others,  or  to  ufe  thofe  who  dif- 
fered from  him  in  the  choice  of  its  modes, 
the  lefs  kindly  or  refpe&fully  on  that  ac- 
count. But  as  moft  of  his  own  company, 
and  many  of  the  reft,  chofe,  when  in  Eng- 
land, to  attend  him  to  the  diffenting  chapel, 
he  ufed  to  march  them  thither  in  due  time, 
fo  as  to  be  there  before  the  worfhip  began. 
And  I  mud  do  them  the  juftice  to  fay,  that 
fo  far  as  I  could  ever  difcern,  when  I  have 
feen  them  in  Jarge  numbers  before  me,  they 
behaved  with  as  much  reverence,  gravity, 

&nd 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      121 

and  decorum,  during  the  time  of  divine  fer- 
vice,  as  any  of  their  fellow  worfhippers. 

That  his  remarkable  care  to  maintain 
good  difcipline  among  them  (of  which  we 
(hall  afterwards  fpeak)  might  be  the  more 
effe&ual,  he  made  himfelf  on  all  proper  oc- 
cafions  acceffible  to  them,  and  expreffed  a 
great  concern  for  their  interefts,  which  being 
fo  genuine  and  fincere,  naturally  difcovered 
itfelf  in  a  variety  of  inftances.  I  remember, 
I  had  once  occafion  to  vifit  one  of  his  dra- 
goons, in  his  laft  illnefs,  at  Harborough,  and 
I  found  the  man  upon  the  borders  of  eterni- 
ty ;  a  circumftance,  which,  as  he  appre- 
hended it  himfelf,  mufl;  add  fome  peculiar 
weight  and  credibility  to  his  difcourfe.  And 
he  then  told  me,  in  his  Colonel's  abfence, 
that  he  queftioned  not,  but  he  fhould  have 
everlafting  reafon  to  blefs  God  on  Colonel 
Gardiner's  account",  for  he  had  been  a  father 
to  him  in  all  his  interefts  both  temporal  and 
fpiritual.  He  added,  that  he  had  vifited 
him  almoft  every  day  during  his  illnefs, 
with  religious  advice  and  inftruSion,  as  well 
as  taken  care  that  he  (hould  want  nothing 
that  might  conduce  to  the  recovery  of  his 
health.  And  he  did  not  fpeak  of  this,  as 
the  refult  of  any  particular  attachment  to 
him,  but  as  the  manner  in  which  he  was  ac- 
cuftorned  to  treat  thofe  under  his  command, 
L  It 


122      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

It  is  no  wonder,  that  this  engaged  their  af- 
fe&ion  to  a  very  great  degree.  And  I  doubt 
not,  that  if  he  had  fought  the  fatal  battle  of 
Prefton  Pans  at  the  head  of  that  gallant 
regiment,  of  which  he  had  the  care  for  fo 
many  years,  and  which  is  allowed  by  moft 
unexceptionable  judges  to  be  one  of  the 
fineft  in  the  Britifti  fervice,  and  confequent- 
]y  in  the  world,  he  had  been  fupported  in  a 
much  different  manner  ;  and  had  found  a 
much  greater  number,  who  would  have  re- 
joiced in  an  opportunity  of  making  their 
own  breads  a  barrier  in  the  defence  of  his. 

It  could  not  but  greatly  endear  him  to  his 
foldiers,  that  fo  far  as  preferments  lay  in  his 
power,  or  were  under  his  influence,  they 
were  diftributed  according  to  merit  ;  which 
he  knew  to  be  as  much  the  diftate  of  pru- 
dence as  of  equity.  I  find  by  one  of  his  let- 
ters before  me,  dated  but  a  few  months  after 
his  happy  change,  that  he  was  folicited  to 
improve  his  intereft  with  the  Earl  of  Stair, 
in  favour  of  one  whom  he  judged  a  very 
worthy  perfon  ;  and  that  it  had  been  fug- 
gefted  by  another  who  recommended  him, 
that  if  he  fucceeded  he  might  expeft  fome 
handfome  acknowledgment.  But  he  an- 
fwers  with  fome  degree  of  indignation,  cc  Do 
you  imagine  I  am  to  be  bribed  to  dojujlice  ?" 
For  fuch  it  feems  he  efteemed  ir,  to  confer 

the 


LIFEof  Col. GARDINER.      123 

the  favour  which  was  aiked  from  him,  on 
one  fo  deferving.  Nothing  can  more  effec- 
tually tend  to  humble  the  enemies  of  a  ftate, 
than  that  fuch  maxims  fhould  univerfally 
prevail  in  it  :  And  if  they  do  not  prevail, 
the  worihieft  men  in  an  army  or  fleet  may 
be  funk  under  repeated  difcouragements, 
and  the  bafeft  exalted,  to  the  infamy  of  the 
public,  and  perhaps  to  its  ruin. 

In  the  midft  of  all  the  gentlenefs  which 
Colonel  Gardiner  exercifed  towards  his  fol- 
dicrs,  he  made  it  very  apparent,  that  he 
knew  how  to  reconcile  the  tendernefs  of  a 
real,  faithful,  and  condefcending  friend, 
with  the  authority  of  a  commander.  Pti- 
haps  hardly  any  thing  conduced  more  gen- 
erally to  the  maintaining  of  this  authority, 
than  the  ftrift  decorum  and  good  manners, 
with  which  he  treated  even  the  private  gen- 
tlemen of  his  regiment  ;  which  has  always  a 
great  efficacy  towards  keeping  inferiors  at  a 
proper  diftance,  and  forbids,  in  the  lead  of- 
fensive manner,  familiarities,  which  degrade 
the  fuperior,  and  enervate  his  influence. 
The  calmnefs  and  fleadinefs  of  his  behaviour 
on  all  occafions,  did  alio  greatly  tend  to  the 
fame  purpofe.  He  knew  how  mean  a  man 
looks  in  the  tranfports  of  paffion,  and  would 
not  ufe  fo  much  freedom  with  any  of  his 
men,   as   to  fall  into  fuch  tranfports  before 

them  ; 


124      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

them  ;  well  knowing,  that  perfons  in  the 
lowed  rank  of  life,  are  aware  how  unfit  they 
are  to  govern  others,  who  cannot  govern 
themfelves.  He  was  alfo  fenfible,  how  nee- 
effary  it  is  in  all  who  prefide  over  others, 
and  efpecially  in  military  officers,  to  check 
irregularities,  when  they  firft  begin  to  ap- 
pear :  And  that  he  might  be  able  to  do  it, 
he  kept  a  ftrift  infpe£tion  over  his  foldiers  ; 
in  which  view  it  was  obferved,  that  as  he 
generally  chofe  to  refide  among  them  as 
much  as  he  could,  (though  in  circumftances 
which  fometimes  occafioned  him  to  deny 
himfelf  in  fome  interefts  which  were  very 
dear  to  him)  fo  when  they  were  around  him, 
he  feldom  (laid  long  in  a  place  ;  but  was 
frequently  walking  the  ftreets,  and  looking 
into  their  quarters  and  (tables,  as  well  as  re- 
viewing and  exercifing  them  himfelf.  It 
has  often  been  obferved,  that  the  regiment 
of  which  he  was  fo  many  years  Lieutenant 
Colonel,  was  one  of  Jthe  mod  regular  and 
orderly  regiments  in  the  public  fcrvice  ;  fo 
that  perhaps  none  of  our  dragoons  were 
more  welcome  than  they,  to  the  towns  where 
their  chara6ler  was  known.  Yet  no  fuch 
bodies  of  men  are  fo  biamelefs  in  their  con- 
du£t,  but  fomething  will  be  found,  efpecially 
among  fuch  confiderable  numbers,  worthy 
of  cenfure,  and  fometimes  of  punifhment. 

This 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      125 

This  Colonel  Gardiner  knew  how  to  infli£i 
with  a  becoming  refolution,and  with  all  the 
feverity  which  he  judged  neceffary  :  A  fe- 
verity  the  more  awful  and  impreffing,  as  it 
was  always  attended  with  meeknefs  ;  for  he 
well  knew,  that  when  things  are  done  in  a 
paflion,  it  feems  only  an  accidental  circum- 
fiance  that  they  are  a£ls  of  juftice,  and  that 
luch  indecencies  greatly  obftru6l  the  ends 
of  punifhment,  both  as  it  relates  to  reform- 
ing offenders,  and  to  deterring  others  from 
an  imitation  of  their  faults.         * 

One  inftance  of  his  condufr,  which' hap- 
pened- at  Leicefter,  and  was  related  by  the 
perfon  chiefly  concerned,  to  a  worthy  friend 
from  whom  I  had  it,  I  cannot  forbear  infert- 
ing.  While  part  of  the  regiment  was  en- 
camped in  the  neighbourhood  of  that  place> 
the  Colonel  went  incognito  to  the  camp  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  >  for  he  fometimes 
lodged  at  his  quarters  in  the  town.  One  of 
the  centinels  then  on  duty  had  abandoned 
his  poft,  and  on  being  feized  broke  out  into 
fome  oaths,  and  profane  execrations  againft 
thofe  that  difcovered  him,  a  crime  of  which 
the  Colonel  had  the  greateft  abhorrence, 
and  on  which  he  never  failed  to  animadvert. 
The  man  afterwards  appeared  much  afham- 
ed  and  concerned  for  what  he  had  done. 
But  the  Colonel  ordered  him  to  be  brought 
L  2  early 


126      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

early  the  next  morning  to  his  own  quarters, 
where  he  had  prepared  a  piquet,  on  which 
he  appointed  him  a  private  fort  of  penance  : 
and  while  he  was  put  upon  it,  he  difcourfed 
with  him  ferioufly  and  tenderly  upon  the 
evils  and  aggravations  of  his  fault ;  admon- 
iftied  him  of  the  divine  difpleafure,  which 
he  had  incurred  ;  and  urged  him  to  argue 
from  the  pain  which  he  then  felt,  how  infi- 
nitely more  dreadful  it  muft  be,  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  living  God,  and  indeed  to 
meet  the  terrors  of  that  damnation,  which 
he  had  been  accuftomed  impioufly  to  call 
for  on  himfelf  and  his  companions.  The 
refult  of  this  proceeding  was,  that  the  offen- 
der accepted  his  puniftnnent,  not  only  with 
fubmiffion,  but  with  thankfulnefs.  He 
went  away  with  a  more  cordial  affeftion  for 
his  Colonel  than  ever  he  had  before  ;  and 
fpoke  of  it  fome  years  after  to  my  friend,  in 
fuch  a  manner,  that  there  feemed  reafon  to 
hope,  it  had  been  inftrumental  in  producing 
not  only  a  change  in  his  life,  but  in  his 
heart. 

There  cannot,  I  think,  be  a  more  proper 
place  for  mentioning  the  great  reverence  this 
excellent  officer  always  exprefled  for  the 
name  of  the  bleffed  God,  and  the  zeal  with 
which  he  endeavoured  to  fupprefs,  and  if 
poffible  to  extirpate^  that  deteftable  fin  of 

fwearing 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      127 

fwearing  and  curlings  which  is  every  where 
fo  common,  and  efpecially  among  our  mili- 
tary men.  He  often  declared  his  fentiments 
with  refpedl  to  this  enormity,  at  the  head  of 
his  regiment ;  and  urged  his  Captains,  and 
their  fubalterns,  to  take  the  greatefl  care, 
that  they  did  not  give  the  fan&ion  of  their 
example,  to  that  which  by  their  office  they 
were  obliged  to  punifh  in  others.  And  in- 
deed his  zeal  on  thefe  occafions  wrought  in 
a  very  aclive,  and  fometimes  in  a  remarkably 
fuccefsfui  manner,  not  only  ampng  his  e- 
quals,  but  fometimes  among  his  fuperiors 
too.  An  inftance  of  this  in  Flanders,  I  (hall 
have  an  opportunity  hereafter  to  produce  ; 
at  prefent  I  fhall  only  mention  his  conduft 
in  Scotland  a  little  before  his  death,  as  I 
have  it  from  a  very  valuable  young  minifter 
of  that  country,  on  whofe  teftimony  1  can 
thoroughly  depend  ;  and  I  wifh  it  may  ex- 
cite many  to  imitation. 

The  commanding  officer  of  the  King's 
forces  then  about  Edinburgh,  with  the  other 
Colonels,  and  feveral  other  gentlemen  of 
rank  in  their  refpeftive  regiments,  favoured 
him  with  their  company  at  Bankton,  and 
took  a  dinner  with  him.  He  too  well  fore- 
fa'w  what  might  happen,  amidft  fuch  a  vari- 
ety of  tempers  and  chara6lers  :  And  fe.uing,. 
left  his  confcience  might  have  been  enfnared 

by 


128      LIFE  6f  Col.  GARDINER. 

by  a  finful  filence,  or  that  on  the  other  hand 
he  might  feem  to  pats  the  bounds  of  decen- 
cy, and  infringe  upon  the  laws  of  hofpitali- 
ty,  by  animadverting  on  guefh  fo  juftly  en- 
titled to  his  regard  ;  he  happily  determined 
on  the  following  method  of  avoiding  each  of 
thefe  difficulties.  As  foon  as  they  were 
come  together,  he  addrefied  them  with  a 
great  deal  of  refpeft,  and  yet  at  the  fame 
time  with  a  very  frank  and  determined  air  ; 
and  told  them,  that  he  had  the  honour  in 
that  diftricfc  to  be  a  juftice  of  the  peace,  and 
confequently  that  he  was  fworn  to  put  the 
laws  in  execution,  and  among  the  reft  thofe 
againft  fwearing  :  That  he  could  not  exe- 
cute them  upon  others  with  any  confidence, 
or  by  any  means  approve  himfelf  as  a  man 
of  impartiality  and  integrity  to  his  own 
heart,  if  he  fuffered  them  to  be  broken  in  his 
prefence  by  perfons  of  any  rank  whatfoever  : 
And  that  therefore  he  entreated  ail  the  gen- 
tlemen who  then  honoured  him  with  their 
company,  that  they  would  pleafe  to  be  upon 
their  guard  ;  and  that  if  any  oath  or  curfe 
fhould  efcape  them,  he  hoped  they  would 
confider  his  legal  animadverfion  upon  it, 
as  a  regard  to  the  duties  of  his  office  and  the 
di&ates  of  his  confcience,  and  net  as  owing 
to  any  want  of  deference  to  them.  The 
commanding  officer  immediately  fupported 

him 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      129 

him  in  this  declaration,  as  entirely  becoming 
the  ftation  in  which  he  was,  alluring  him, 
that  he  would  be  ready  to  pay  the  penalty, 
if  he  inadvertently  tranfgreffed  ;  and  when 
Colonel  Gardiner  on  any  occafion  ftepped 
out  of  the  room,  he  himfelf  undertook  to  be 
the  guardian  of  the  law  in  his  abfence  ;  and 
as  one  of  the  inferior  officers  offended  dur- 
ing this  time,  he  informed  the  Colonel,  fo 
that  the  fine  was  exafled,  and  given  to  the 
poor,*  with  the  univerfal  approbation  of  the 
company.  The  ftory  fpread  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  was  perhaps  applauded  highly 
by  many,  who  wanted  the  courage  to  go  and 
do  likezuife.  But  it  may  be  faid  of  the  wor- 
thy perfon  of  whom  I  write,  with  the  ut- 
moll  propriety,  that  he  feared  the  face  of  no 
man  living,  where  the  honour  of  God  was 
concerned.  In  all  fuch  cafes  he  might  be 
juftly  faid,  in  fcripture  phrafe,  tofet  his  face 
like  ajlint  5  and  I  affuredly  believe,  that  had 
he  been  in  the  prefence  of  a  fovereign  Prince, 
who  had  been  guilty  of  this  fault,  his  looks 

at 

*  It  is  obfervable,  that  the  money,  which  was  for- 
feited on  this  account  by  his  own  officers,  whom  he 
never  fpared,  or  by  any  others  of  his  foldiers,  who  rather 
ehofe  to  pay  than  to  fubmit  to  corporal  punishment,  was 
by  the  Colonel's  order  laid  by  in  a  bank,  till  fome  of 
the  private  men  fell  fick  ;  and  then  it  was  laid  out  in 
providing  them  with  proper  help,  and  accommodations 
in  their  diftrefs. 


130      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

at  leaft  would  have  teftified  his  grief  and 
furprize,  if  he  had  apprehended  it  unfit  to 
have  borne  his  teflimony  any  other  way. 

Lord  Cadogan's  regiment  of  dragoons, 
during  the  years  I  have  mentioned,  while  he 
was  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  it,  was  quartered 
in  a  great  variety  of  places,  both  in  England 
and  Scotland,  from  many  of  which  I  have 
letters  before  me  ;  particularly  from  Ham- 
ilton, Air,  Carliile,  Hereford,  Maidenhead, 
Leicefter,  Warwick,  Coventry,  Stamford, 
Harborough,  Northampton,  and  feveral 
other  places,  efpecially  in  our  inland  parts. 
The  natural  confequence  was,  that  the  Col- 
onel, whofe  character  was  on  many  accounts 
fo  very  remarkable,  had  a  very  extenfive  ac- 
quaintance :  And  I  believe  I  may  certainly 
fay,  that  wherever  he  was  known  by  perfons 
of  wifdom  and  worth,  he  was  proportiona- 
bly  refpefted,  and  left  behind  him  traces  of 
unaffefted  devotion,  humility,  benevolence 
and  zeal,  for  the  fupport  and  advancement 
of  religion  and  virtue. 

The  equable  tenor  of  his  mind  in  thefe 
refpefts,  is  illuftrated  by  his  letters  from  fev- 
eral of  thefe  places  ;  and  thougfi  it  is  but 
comparatively  a  fmall  number  of  them  which 
I  have  now  in  my  hands,  yet  they  will  af- 
ford fome  valuable  extradis  ;  which  I  fhall 
therefore  here  lay  before  my  reader,  that  he 

may 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER;      131 

may  the  better  judge  as  to  his  real  charac- 
ter, in  particulars  of  which  I  have  already 
difcourled,  or  which  may  her-  ifter  occur. 

In  a  letter  to  his  lady,  dated  from  Carlifle, 
Nov.  19,  1733,  when  he  was  on  his  journey 
to  Herefordfhire,  he  breathes  out  his  grate- 
ful cheerful  foul  in  thefe  words  :  "  I  blefs 
<c  God,  I  was  never  better  in  my  life  time  ; 
"  and  I  wifh  I  could  be  fo  happy,  as  to  hear 
<c  the  fame  of  you  ;  or  rather,  (in  other 
cC  words)  to  hear  that  you  had  obtained  an 
<c  entire  truft  in  God.  That  would  infallibly 
cc  keep  you  in  perfeft  peace  ;  for  the  God  of 
"  truth  hath  promifed  it.  Oh,  how  ought 
<c  we  to  be  longing  to  be  with  Chrift,  which 
cc  is  infinitely  better  than  any  thing  we  can 
u  propofe  here  !  To  be  there,  where  all 
"  complaints  fhall  be  forever  banifhed ; 
<c  where  no  mountains  fhall  feparate  between 
<c  God  and  our  fouls  :  And  I  hope  it  will 
u  be  fome  addition  to  our  happinefs,  that 
cc  you  and  I  fhall  be  feparated  no  more  ; 
"  but  that  as  we  have  joined  in  finging  the 
cc  praifes  of  our  glorious  redeemer  here,  we 
"  fhall  fing  them  in  a  much  higher  key, 
cc  through  an  endlefs  eternity  !  Oh  eternity, 
"  eternity  !  What  a  wonderful  thought  is 
"  eternity  !" 

PVom  Leicefter,  Aug.  6,  1739,  he  writes 
thus  to  his  lady  :  "  Yefterday  I  w^s  at  the 

Lord's 


132      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

c<  Lord's  table,  where  you  and  the  children 
cc  were  not  forgotten  :  But  how  wonderfully 
ff  was  I  aflifted  when  I  came  home,  to  plead 
<(  for  you  all  with  many  tears  !"  And  then, 
fpeaking  of  fome  intimate  friends,  who  were 
impatient  (as  I  fuppofe  by  the  connexion) 
for  his  return  to  them,  he  takes  occafion  to 
obferve  the  neceffity  "of  endeavouring  to 
4(  compofe  our  minds,  and  to  fay  with  the 
u  Pfalmift,  My  foul,  wait  thou  only  upon  God." 
Afterwards,  fpeaking  of  one  of  his  children, 
of  whom  he  heard  that  he  made  a  commend- 
able progrefs  in  learning,  he  exprefles  his 
fatisfa&ion  in  it,  and  adds,  "  But  how  much 
c<  greater  joy  would  it  give  me,  to  hear  that 
■f  he  was  greatly  advanced  in  the  fchool  of 
"  Chrift  !  Oh  that  our  children  may  but  be 
"  wife  to  falvaiion  ;  and  may  grow  in  grace \ 
jf  as  they  do  in  ftature  !" 

Thefe  letters,  which  to  fo  familiar  a  friend, 
evidently  lay  open  the  heart,  and  fhew  the 
ideas  and  afFeftions  which  were  lodged 
deepeft  there,  are  fometimes  taken  up  with 
an  account  of  fermons  he  had  attended,  and 
the  imprefTion  they  had  made  upon  his 
mind.  I  {hall  mention  one  only,  as  a  fpec- 
imen  of  many  more,  which  was  dated  from  a 
place  called  Cohorn,  April  15.  <c  We  had 
<f  here  a  minifter  from  Wales,  who  gave  us 
Cf  two  excellent   difcourfes   on   the  love  of 

"  Chrifl  " 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      133 

a  Chrift  to  us,  as  an  argument  to  engage  our 
"  love  to  him.  And  indeed,  next  to  the 
u  greatnefs  of  his  love  to  us,  methinks  there 
"  is  nothing  fo  aftonifhing  as  the  coldnefs  of 
u  our  love  to  him.  Oh  that  he  would  Jhed 
"  abroad  his  love  upon  our  hearts  by  his  holy 
"  fpirity  that  ours  might  be  kindled  into  a 
"  flame  !  May  God  enable  you  to  truft  in 
"  him,  and  then  you  will  be  kept  in  perfect 
"peace  I**- 

We  have  met  with  many  traces  of  that 
habitual  gratitude  to  the  bleffed  God,  as  his 
heavenly  father  and  conftant  friend,  which 
made  his  life  probably  one  of  the  happieft 
that  ever  was  fpent  on  earth.  I  cannot  o- 
mit  one  more,  which  appears  to  me  the  more 
worthy  of  notice,  as  being  a  (hort  turn  in  as 
hafty  a  letter  as  any  I  remember  to  have 
feen  of  his,  which  he  wrote  from  Leicefter, 
in  June,  1739.  "  I  am  now  under  the  deep- 
u  eft  fenfe  of  the  many  favours  the  Alrnigh- 
"  ty  has  beftowed  upon  me  :  Surely  you 
<c  will  help  me  to  celebrate  the  praifes  of  our 
<c  gracious  God  and  kind  benefactor."  This 
exuberance  of  grateful  afFedion,  which, 
while  it  was  almoft  every  hour  pouring  it- 
leif  forth  before  God  inrthe  mod  genuine 
and  emphatical  language,  felt  itfelf  ftill  as 
it  were  ftraitened  for  want  of  a  fufficient 
vent,  and  therefore  called  on  others  to  help 
M  him 


134      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

,him  with  their  concurrent  praifes,  appears 
to  me  the  mod  glorious  and  happy  ftate  in 
which  a  human  foul  can  find  itfelf  on  this 
fide  heaven. 

Such  was  the  temper  which  this  excellent 
man  appears  to  have  carried  along  with  him, 
through  fuch  a  variety  of  places  and  circum- 
ftances ;  and  the  whole  of  his  deportment 
was  fuitable  to  thefe  impreffions.  Strangers 
were  agreeably  ftruck  with  his  firft  appear- 
ance, there  was  fo  much  of  the  Chriftian, 
the  well  bred  man,  and  the  univerfal  friend 
in  it ;  and  as  they  came  more  intimately  to 
know  him,  they  discovered  more  and  more 
the  uniformity  and  confiftency  of  his  whole 
temper  and  behaviour  :  So  that  whether  he 
made  only  a  vifit  for  a  few  days  to  any  place, 
or  continued  there  for  many  weeks  or 
months,  he  was  always  beloved  and  efteem- 
ed,  and  fpoken  of  with  that  honourable  tef- 
timony  from  perfons  of  the  mod  different 
denominations  and  parties,  which  nothing 
but  true  (lerling  worth,  (if  I  may  be  allowed 
the  expreffion)  and  that  in  an  eminent  de- 
gree, ran  fecuie. 

Of  the  juftice  of  this  teflimony,  which  I 
had  fo  often  heard  from  a  variety  of  perfonsi 
I  myfelf  begari  to  be  a  witnefc  about  the 
lime  when  the  laft  mentioned  letter  was  dat- 
ed.    In  this  view    I   believe   I    (hall   neve* 

for  p*e  t 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       135 

forget  that  happy  day,  June  13,  1739,  when 
I  firft  met  him  at   Leicefter.      I   remember, 
I  happened  that  day  to  preach  a  lecture  from 
Pfalm  cxix.  158.    I  beheld  the  tranfgrcjfors, 
and  was  grieved,  becaufe  they  kepi  not  thy  tawl 
I  was  large  in  defcribing  that  mixture  of  in- 
dignation and  grief,   (ftrongiy  expreffed  by 
the  original  word  there)  with  which  the  good 
man  looks  on  the  daring  tranfgreflbrs  of  the 
divine  law  ;   and  in  tracing  the  caufes  of  that 
grief,  as  arifmg  from  a  regard  to  the  divine 
honour,  and  the  intereft  of  a  redeemer,  and 
a  companionate  concern  for  the  mifery  fuch 
offenders  bring  on  themfelves,    and  for  th  1 
mifchief  they  do  to   the   world  about  them. 
I  little  thought  how  exactly  I  was  drawing 
Colonel  Gardiner's  character  under  each  of 
thofe  heads  ;  and  I  have  often  reflected  up- 
on it  as  a  happy  providence,  which  opened 
a  much  fpeedier  way  than  I  could  have  ex- 
pe6ted  to  the  breaft  of  one  of  the  mod  ami- 
able and  ufeful  friends,  which  I  e.ver  expeffc 
to  find  upon  earth.      We  afterwards  fung  a 
hymn,  which   brought  over  again  fome  of 
the   leading  thoughts  in    the   fermon,    and 
{truck  him  fo  ftrongiy,  that  on  obtaining  a 
copy  of  it,  he  committed  it  to  his  memory, 
and  ufed  to  repeat  it  with  fo  forcible  an  ac- 
cent, as  (hewed  how  much  every   line   ex- 
preffed of  his  very  foul.      In  this  view  the 

reader 


136      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

reader  will  pardon  my  inferring  it ;  efpec- 
ially,  as  I  know  not  when  I  may  get  time  to 
publifh  a  volume  of  thefe  ferious,  though 
artlefs  compofures,  which  I  fent  him  in 
rnanufcript  fome  years  ago,  and  to  which  I 
have  fince  made  very  large  additions. 

Arife,  my  tend'reft  thoughts,  arife, 
To  torrents  melt  my  ftreaming  eyes  ! 
And  thou,  my  heart,  with  angui/h  feel 
Thofe  evils  which  thou  canft  not  heal  ! 

See  human  nature  funk  in  fhame  ! 
See  fcandals  pour'd  on  Jefu's  name  ! 
The  father  wounded  through  the  fon  ! 
The  world  abus'd,  the  foul  undone  ! 

courfe  of  vain  delight 
Hig  In  everlafting  night  ! 
In  flames  that  no  abatement  know, 
The  briny  tears  forever  flow. 

My  God,  I  feel  the  mournful  fcene  ; 

My  bowels  yearn  o'er  dying  men  : 

And  fain  my  pity  would  reclaim, 

And  fnatch  the  fire  brands  from  the  Same. 

But  feeble  my  companion  proves, 

d  can  but  weep,  where  moft  it  loves. 
Thine  own  all  faving  arm  en: 
And  turn  thefe  drops  of  grief  to  joy  ! 

The  Colonel,  immediately  after  the  con- 
clufion  of  the  fervice,  met  me  in  the  veflry, 

and 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      137 

and  embraced  me  in  the  moft  obliging  and 
affe&ionate  manner,  as  if  there  had  been  a 
long  friendihip  between  us  ;  allured  me  that 
he  had  for  fome  years  been  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  my  writings  ;  and  defired 
that  we  might  concert  meafures  for  fpending 
fome  hours  together,  before  I  left  the  town. 
I  was  fo  happy  as  to  be  able  to  fecure  an 
opportunity  of  doing  it ;  and  I  mud  leave 
it  upon  record,  that  1  cannot  recoileft  I  was 
ever  equally  edified  by  any  converfation  I 
remember  to  have  enjoyed.  We  palled  that 
evening  and  the  next  morning  together; 
and  it  is  impoflible  for  me  to  defcribe  the 
impreffion  which  the  interview  left  upon  my 
heart.  I  rode  alone  all  the  remainder  of 
the  day  ;  and  it  was  my  unfpeakable  happi- 
nefs  that  I  was  alone,  fince  I  could  be  no 
longer  with  him  ;  for  I  can  hardly  conceive 
what  other  company  would  not  then  have 
been  an  incumbrance.  ri  he  views  which 
he  gave  me  even  then,  (for  he  began  to  re- 
pofe  a  molt  obliging  confidence  in  me, 
though  he  concealed  fome  of  the  moft  ex- 
traordinary circumfiances  of  the  methods  by 
which  he  had  been  recovered  to  God  and 
happinefs)  with  thofe  cordial  fentiments  of 
^evangelical  piety  and  extenfive  gcodnefs, 
which  he  poured  out  into  my  boforn  with 
fo  endearing  a  freedom,  fired  my  very  foul; 
M  2  and 


138      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

and  I  hope  I  may  truly  fay,  (what  I  wiflh 
and  pray  many  of  my  readers  may  alfo  a- 
dopt  for  themfelves)  that  I  glorified  God  in 
him.  Our  epiftolary  correfpondence  im- 
mediately commenced  upon  my  return  ;  and 
though,  through  the  multiplicity  of  bufinefs 
on  both  fides,  it  fuffered  many  interruptions, 
it  was  in  fome  degree  the  bleffing  of  all  the 
following  years  of  my  life,  till  he  fell  by 
thofeunreafonable  and  wicked  men,  who  had 
it  in  their  hearts  with  him  to  have  deftroy- 
ed  all  our  glory,  defence  and  happinefs. 

The  firft  letter  I  received  from  him  was 
fo  remarkable,  that  fome  perfons  of  eminent 
piety,  to  whom  I  communicated  it,  would 
not  be  content  without  copying  it,  or  mak- 
ing fome  extra6h  from  it.  I  perfuade  my- 
felf,  that  my  devout  reader  will  not  be  dif- 
pleafed,  that  I  infert  the  greateft  part  of  it 
here  ;  efpecially,  as  it  ferves  to  illuftrate  the 
afFe6lionate  fenfe  which  he  had  of  the  di- 
vine goodnefs  in  his  converfion,  though  more 
than  twenty  years  had  pafied  fince  that 
memorable  event  happened.  Having  men- 
tioned my  ever  dear  and  honoured  friend, 
Dr.  Ifaac  Watts,  on  an  occafion  which  I 
hinted  at  above,  (page  99)  he  adds,  Cf  I  have 
<c  been  in  pain  thefe  feveral  years,  left  that 
cc  excellent  perfon,  that  fzveet  finger  in  our 
u  Jfrael,  fliould  have  been  called  to  heaven 

"  before 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      139 

11  before  I  had  an  opportunity  of  letting  him 

w  know  how  much  his  works  have  been  blefT- 
cc  ed  to  me,  and  of  courfe  of  returning  him 
u  my  hearty  thanks :  For  though  it  is  owing 
<c  to  the  operation  of  the  bleffed  fpirit,  that 
"  any  thing  works  effefihially  upon  our 
c<  hearts,  yet  if  we  are  not  thankful  to  the 
c<  inftrument  which  God  is  pleafed  to  make 
c<  ufe  of,  whom  we  do  fee y  how  fhall  we  be 
"  thankful  to  the  Almighty,  whom  we  have 
"  notfeen  ?  I  defire  to  blefs  God  for  the 
N  good  news  of  his  recovery,  and  intreat  you 
cc  to  tell  him,  that  although  I  cannot  keep 
cc  pace  with  him  here,  in  celebrating  the  high 
u  praifes  of  our  glorious  redeemer,  which  is 
"  the  greateft  grief  of  my  heart ;  yet  I  am 
"  perfuaded,  that  when  I  join  the  glorious 
"'  company  above,  where  there  will  be  no 
,f  drawbacks,  none  will  out  fing  me  there  ; 
"  becaufe  I  fhall  not  find  any,  that  will  be 
"'  more  indebted  to  the  wonderful  riches  of 
u  divine  grace  than  I. 

M  Give  me  a  place  at  thy  faints  feeV 
"  Or  fome  fall'n  angel's  vacant  feat  ; 
"  I'll  drive  to  fing  as  loud  as  they, 
c<  Who  fit  above  in  brighter  day. 

"  I  know  it  is  natural  for  every  one,  who  has- 
<c  felt  the  almighty  power  which  raifed  our 
11  glorious  redeemer  from  the  grave,  to  be- 

"  lieve 


i4o      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER, 

u  lieve  his  cafe  lingular  :  But  I  have  made 
f<  every  one  in  this  refpe6l  fubmit,,as  icon  as 
**  he  has  heard  my  ftory.  And  if  you 
u  feemed  fo  furprizcd  at  the  account  which 
*c  I  gave  you,  what  will  you  be  when  you 
*c  hear  it  all  ? 

"  Oh  if  I  had  an  angel's  voice, 

♦•  And  could  be  heard  from  pole  to  pole; 

"  I  would  to  all  the  lifKning  world 

u  Proclaim  thy  goodnefs  to  my  foul." 

He  then  concludes,  after  fome  expreffions- 
of  endearment,  (which,  with  whatever  pleaf- 
ure  I  review  them,  I  mull  not  here  infert) 
u  If  you  knew  what  a  natural  averfion  I 
u  have  to  writing,  you  would  be  ailonilhed 
€<  at  the  length  of  this  letter,  which  is,  I  be- 
<f  lieve,  the  longeli  I  ever  wrote.  But  my 
cc  heart  warms  when  T  write  to  you,  which 
"  makes  my  pen  move  the  eafier.  I  hope 
Cf  it  will  pleafe  our  gracious  God  long  to 
,c  preferve  you,  a  bleiTed  inftrument  in  his 
u  hand,  of  doing  great  good  in  the  church 
'*  of  Chrift  ;  and  that  you  may  always  enjoy 
u  a  thriving  foul  in  a  hpalthfui  bod}',  (hall 
i(  be  the  continual  prayer  of,  Sec.99' 

As  our  intimacy  grew,  our  mutual  affec- 
tion increafed  ;  and  "  my  deareft  friend," 
was  the  form  of  addrefs  with  which  moll  of 
his  epifties  of  the  laft  years  were  begun  and 

ended. 


LIFEof  Col.  GARDINER.      141 

ended.  Many  of  them  are  filled  up  with 
his  fentiments  of  thofe  writings  which  I  pub- 
lifhed  during  thefe  years,  which  he  read 
with  great  attention,  and  of  which  he  fpeaks 
in  terms  which  it  becomes  me  to  fupprefs, 
and  to  impute  in  a  conGderable  degree  to 
the  kind  prejudices  of  fo  endeared  a  friend- 
fhip.  He  gives  me  repeated  affurances, 
"  that  he  was  daily  mindful  of  me  in  his 
prayers  ;"  a  circumftance  which  I  cannot 
recolleft  without  the  greateft  thankfulnefs  ; 
the  lofs  of  which  I  fliould  more  deeply  la- 
ment, did  I  not  hope,  that  the  happy  effeft 
of  thefe  prayers  might  {till  continue,  and 
might  run  into  all  my  remaining  days. 

It  might  be  a  pleafure  to  me,  to  make  fev- 
eral  extrafts  from  many  others  of  his  letters : 
But  it  is  a  pleafure  which  I  ought  to  fup- 
prefs,  and  rather  to  refleft  with  unfeigned 
humility,  how  unworthy  I  was  of  fuch  re-* 
gards  from  fuch  a  perfon,  and  of  that  divine 
goodnefs  which  gave  me  fuch  a  friend  in 
him.  I  fhall  therefore  only  add  two  gen- 
eral remark?,  which  offer  themfelves  from 
feveral  of  his  letters.  The  one  is,  that  there 
is  in  fome  of  them,  as  our  freedom  increafed, 
an  agreeable  vein  of  humour  and  pleafant- 
ry  ;  which  fhews  how  eafy  religion  fat  upon 
him,  and  how  far  he  was  from  placing  any 
part  of  it  in  a  gloomy  melancholy,   or  ftiff 

formality; 


14*      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

formality.  The  other  is,  that  he  frequently 
refers  to  domeftic  circumftances,  fuch  as  the 
i'llnefs  or  recovery  of  my  children,  &c.  which 
I  am  furprifed  how  a  man  of  his  extenfive 
and  important  bufinefs  could  fo  diftin&ly 
bear  upon  his  mind.  But  his  memory  was 
good,  and  his  heart  was  yet  better  *  and  his 
friendfhip  was  fuch,  that  nothing  which 
fenfibly  affe&ed  the  heart  of  one  whom  he 
honoured  with  it,  left  his  own  but  {lightly 
touched.  1  have  ail  imaginable  reafon  to 
believe,  that  in  many  inftances  his  prayeu 
were  not  only  offered  for  us  in  general  terms, 
but  varied  as  our  particular  fituation  requir- 
ed. Many  quotations  might  verify  this  ; 
but  I  decline  troubling  the  reader  with  an 
enumeration  of  paffages,.  in  which  it  wa3 
only  the  abundance  of  friendly  fympathy, 
that  gave  this  truly  great,  as  well  as  good 
man,  fo  cordial  a  concern. 

After  this  correfpondence,  carried  on  for 
the  fpace  of  about  three  years,  and  fome  in- 
terviews which  we  had  enjoyed  at  different 
places,  he  came  to  fpend  fome  time  with  us 
at  Northampton,  and  brought  with  him  his 
lady  and  his  two  eldeft  children.  I  had 
here  an  opportunity  of  taking  a  much  nearer 
view  of  his  chara&er,  and  furveying  it  in  a 
much  greater  variety  of  lights  than  before  ; 
and  my  efleem  rn*  him  increafed,.  in  oro- 

portion 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       143 

portion  to  thefe  opportunities.  What  I 
have  wrote  above,  with  refpeft  to  his  con- 
duct in  relative  life,  was  in  a  great  meafure 
drawn  from  what  I  now  faw  :  And  I  fhall 
mention  here  fome  other  points  in  his  be- 
haviour, which  particularly  ftruck  my  mind  ; 
and  iikewife  fhall  touch  on  his  fentiments  on 
fome  topics  of  importance,  which  he  freely- 
communicated  to  me,  and  which  I  remarked 
on  account  of  that  wifdom  and  propriety 
which  I  apprehended  in  them. 

There  was  nothing  more  openly  obferva- 
ble  in  Colonel  Gardiner,  than  the  exempla- 
ry gravity,  compofure,  and  reverence,  with 
which  he  attended  public  worftiip.  Copi- 
ous as  he  was  in  his  fecret  devotions  before 
he  engaged  in  it,  he  always  began  them  fo 
early,  as  not  to  be  retarded  by  them,  when 
he  fhould  refort  to  the  houfe  of  God.  He, 
and  all  his  foldiers  who  chofe  to  worfhip 
-with  him,  were  generally  there,  (as  I  have 
already  hinted)  before  the  fervice  began  ; 
that  the  entrance  of  fo  many  of  them  at 
once  might  not  difturb  the  congregation  al- 
ready engaged  in  devotion,  and  that  there 
might  be  the  better  opportunity  for  bringing 
the  mind  to  a  becoming  attention,  and  pre- 
paring it  for  converfe  with  the  divine  being. 
While  acts  of  worfliip  were  going  on,  whether 
-raver  or  finging,   he  always  flood  up  • 

and 


1*4      LIFE  or  Col.  GARDINER. 

and  whatever  regard  he  might  have  for  per- 
rons who  palled  by  him  at  that  time,  though 
it  were  to  come  into  the  fame  pew,  he  never 
paid  any  compliment  to  them  :  And  often 
has  he  expreiTed  his  wonder  at  the  indeco- 
rum of  break,:  g  off  oar  addrefs  to  God,  to 
bow  to  a  Pel  ture  ;  which  he  thought 

a  much  greater  indecency,  than  it  would  be 
on  a  like  occafion  and  circumftance,  to  in- 
terrupt an  addrefs  to  our  Prince.  During 
the  time  of  preaching,  his  eye  was  common- 
ly fixed  upon  the  minifter,  though  fome- 
times  turned  round  upon  the  auditory,  where 
if  he  obferved  any  to  trifle,  it  filled  him  writh 
juft  indignation.  And  I  have  known  in- 
ftances,  in  which,  upon  making  the  remark, 
he  has  communicated  it  to  fome  friend  of  the 
perfons  who  were  guilty  of  it,  that  proper 
application  might  be  made  to  prevent  it  for 
the  time  to  come. 

A  more  devout  communicant  at  the  table 
of  the  Lord  has  perhaps  feldom  been  any 
where  known.  Often  have  I  had  the  pleas- 
ure, to  fee  that  manly  countenance  foftened 
to  all  the  marks  of  humiliation  and  contri- 
tion, on  this  occafion  ;  and  to  difcern,  in 
fpite  of  all  his  efforts  to  conceal  them,  ft  reams 
of  tears  flowing  down  from  his  eyes,  while  he 
has  been  directing  them  to  thofe  memorials 
of  his  redeemer's   love.     And  fome,  who 

have 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      145 

have  converfed  intimately  with  him  after  he 
came  from  that  ordinance,  have  obferved  a 
vifible  abftra&ion  from  furrounding  obje£ts ; 
by  which  there  feemed  reafon  to  imagine, 
that  his  foul  was  wrapped  up  in  holy  con- 
templation. And  I  particularly  remember, 
that  when  we  had  once  fpent  great  part  of 
the  following  Monday  in  riding  together,  he 
made  an  apology  to  me  for  being  fo  abfent 
as  he  feemed,  by  telling  me,  "  that  his  heart 
€(  was  flown  upwards  before  he  was  aware, 
<f  to  him,  whom  not  having  feen,  he  loved  ;* 
ic  and  that  he  was  rejoicing  in  him  with  fitch 
M  unfpeakable  joy,  that  he  could  not  hold  it 
u  down  to  creature  converfe." 

In  all  the  offices  of  fiiendfhip  he  was  re- 
markably ready,  and  had  a  moft  fweet  and 
engaging  manner  of  performing  them,  which 
greatly  heightened  the  obligations  he  con- 
ferred. He  feemed  not  to  fet  any  high  val- 
ue upon  any  benefit  he  beftowed  ;  but  did 
it  without  the  leafl  parade,  as  a  thing  which 
in  thofe  circumftances  came  of  courfe,  w here 
he  had  profeflTed  love  and  refpeft,  which  he 
was  not  over  forward  to  do,  though  he  treat- 
ed ftrangers,  and  thofe  who  were  moft  his 
inferiors,  very  courteously,  and  always  feem- 

ed, 

*  This  alluded  to  the  fubjeel  of  the  fermon   tjie  day 
before,  which  was   i  Pet.  i.  8. 
V 


146      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

ed,  becaufe  he  in  truth  always  was,  glad  of 
any  opportunity  of  doing  them  good. 

He  was  particularly  zealous  in  vindicat- 
ing the  reputation  of  his  friends  in  their  ab- 
fence  :  And  though  I  cannot  recolleft,  that 
I  had  ever  an  opportunity  of  obferving  this 
immediately,  as  I  do  not  know  that  I  ever 
was  prefent  with  him  when  any  ill  was 
fpoken  of  others  at  all ;  yet  by  what  I  have 
heard  him  fay,  with  relation  to  attempts  to 
injure  the  chara6ters  of  worthy  and  ufeful 
men,  I  have  reafon  to  believe,  that  no  man 
living  was  more  fenfible  of  the  bafenefs  and 
infamy,  as  well  as  the  cruelty,  of  fuch  a  con- 
duft.  He  knew,  and  defpifed  the  low  prin- 
ciples of  refentment  for  unreasonable  expec- 
tations difappointed,  of  perfonal  attachment 
to  men  of  fome  eroding  interefts,  of  envy, 
and  of  party  zeal,  from  whence  fuch  a  con- 
duct often  proceeds  ;  and  was  particularly 
offended,  when  he  found  it  (as  he  frequent- 
ly did)  in  perfons  that  fet  up  for  the  greateft 
patrons  of  liberty,  virtue  and  candour.  He 
looked  upon  the  murderers  of  reputation  and 
tifefulnep,  as  fome  of  the  vileft  pefts  of  foci- 
ety  ;  and  plainly  (hewed  on  every  proper 
occafion,  that  he  thought  it  the  part  of  a 
generous,  benevolent,  and  courageous  man, 
to  exert  himfelf  in  tracing  and  hunting  down 
the  flander,  that  the  authors  or  abettors  of 

it 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      147 

it  might  be  lefs  capable  of  doing  mifchief  for 
the  future. 

The  moft  plaufible  obje&ion  that  I  ever 
heard  to  Colonel  Gardiner's  chara&er  is, 
that  he  was  too  much  attached  to  fome  re- 
ligious principles,  eftablifhed  indeed  in  the 
churches  both  of  England  and  Scotland,  but 
which  have  of  late  years  been  much  difput- 
cd,  and  from  which,  it  is  at  leail  generally 
fuppofed,  not  a  few  in  both  have  thought 
proper  to  depart  ;  whatever  expedients  they 
may  have  found  to  quiet  their  confciences, 
in  fubfcribing  thofe  formularies,-  in  which 
they  are  plainly  taught.  His  zeal  was  es- 
pecially apparent  inoppofition  to  thofe  doc- 
trines, which  feemed  to  derogate  from  the 
divine  honours  of  the  fon  and  fpirit  of  God, 
and  from  the  freedom  of  divine  grace,  or  the 
reality  and  neceffity  of  its  operations  in  the 
converfion  and  falvation  of  finners. 

With  relation  to  thefe  I  mull  obferve,  that 
it  was  his  moft  ftedfaft  perfuafion,  that  all 
thofe  notions,  which  reprefent  our  blefled 
redeemer  and  the  holy  fpirit  as  mere  crea- 
tures, or  which  fet  afide  the  atonement  of 
the  former,  or  the  influences  of  the  latter, 
do  fap  the  very  foundation  of  Chriftianity, 
by  reje&ing  the  moft  glorious  do&rines  pe- 
culiar to  it.  He  had  attentively  obferved 
(what  indeed  is  too  obvious)  the  unhappy 

influence 


148      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

influence  which  the  denial  of  thefe  princi- 
ples often  has  on  the  charadier  of  minifters, 
and  on  their  fuccefs,  and  was  perfuaded, 
that  an  attempt  to  fubftitute  that  mutilated 
form  of  Chriftianity  which  remains,  when 
thefe  effentials  of  it  are  taken  away,  has 
proved  one  of  the  moft  fuccefsful  methods 
which  the  great  enemy  of  fouls  has  ever 
taken  in  thefe  latter  days,  to  lead  men  by 
infenfible  degrees  into  deifm,  vice,  and  per- 
dition. He  alfo  fagacioudy  obferved  the 
artful  manner  in  which  obnoxious  tenets  are 
often  maintained  and  infmuated,  with  all 
that  mixture  of  zeal  and  addrefs  with  which 
they  are  propagated  in  the  world,  even  by 
thofe  who  had  moft  folemnly  profefled  to 
believe,  and  engaged  to  teach  the  contrary  : 
And  as  he  really  apprehended,  that  the  glo- 
ry of  God,  and  the  falvation  of  fouls  was 
concerned,  his  piety  and  charity  made  him 
eager  and  ftrenucus  in  oppofing  what  he 
judged  to  be  errors  of  fo  pernicious  a  nature. 
Yet  I  muft  declare,  that  according  to  what 
I  have  known  of  him,  (and  I  believe  he 
opened  his  heart  on  thefe  topics  to  me,  with 
as  much  freedom  as  to  any  man  living)  he 
was  not  ready  upon  light  fufpicions  to  charge 
tenets  which  he  thought  fo  pernicious  on 
any,  efpecially  where  he  faw  the  appear- 
ances of  a  good  temper  and  life,  which  he 

always 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      149 

always  reverenced  and  loved  in  perfons  of 
all  fentiments  and  profeffions.  He  feverely 
condemned  caufelefs  jealoufies,  and  evil  fur- 
mifings  of  every  kind  ;  and  extended  that 
charity  in  this  refpeft,  both  to  clergy  and 
laity,  which  good  Bilhop  Burnet  was  fo 
ready,  according  to  his  own  account,  to  limit 
to  the  latter,  "of  believing  every  man  good 
"till  he  knew  him  to  be  bad,  and  his  no- 
"  tions  right  till  he  knew  them  wrong."  He 
could  not  but  be  very  fenlible  of  the  unhap- 
py confequences,  which  may  follow  on  at- 
tacking the  chara&ers  of  men,  efpecially  of 
thofe  who  are  minifters  of  the  golpel  :  And 
if  through  a  mixture  of  human  frailty,  from 
which  the  bed  of  men  in  the  beft  of  their 
meanings  and  intentions  are  not  entirely 
free,  he  has  ever,  in  the  warmth  of  his  heart, 
dropped  a  word  which  might  be  injurious  to 
any  on  that  account,  (which  I  believe  very 
feldom  happened)  he  would  gladly  retradfc 
it  on  better  information  ;  which  was  perfect- 
ly agreeable  to  that  honeft  and  generous 
franknefs  of  temper,  in  which  I  never  knew 
any  man  who  exceeded  him. 

On  the  whole,  it  was  indeed  his  deliberate 
judgment,  that  the  Arian,  Socinian,  and  Pe- 
lagian dotlrines,  were  highly  difhonourable 
to  God,  and  chngerous  to  the  fouls  of  men  ; 
and  that  it  was  the  duty  of  private  Chrifl- 
N  2  ians, 


i5o      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

ians,  to  be  greatly  on  their  guard  againft 
thofe  minifters  by  whom  they  are  entertain- 
ed, left  their  minds  Jhould  be  corrupted  from 
the  JimplicUy  that  is  in  Chrijl.  Yet  he  fin- 
cerely  abhorred  the  thought  of  persecution 
for  confcience  fake  ;  of  the  abfurdity  and  in- 
iquity of  which,  in  all  its  kinds  and  degrees, 
he  had  as  deep  and  rational  a  convi6lion,  as 
any  man  I  could  name.  And  indeed  the 
generality  of  his  heroic  heart  could  hardly 
bear  to  think,  that  thofe  glorious  truths, 
which  he  fo  cordially  loved,  and  which  he 
affuredly  believed  to  be  capable  of  fuch  fair 
Support,  both  from  reafon  and  the  word  of 
God,  fliould  be  difgraced  by  methods  of  de- 
fence and  propagation,  common  to  the  moft 
impious  and  ridiculous  falfehoods.  Nor 
did  he  by  any  means  approve  of  paffionate 
and  furious  ways  of  vindicating  the  mod 
vital  and  important  do6irines  of  the  gofpel  : 
For  he  knew,  that  to  maintain  the  moft  be- 
nevolent religion  in  the  world  by  fuch  ma- 
levolent and  infernal  methods,  was  dejlroy- 
ing  the  end  to  accomplijh  the  means ;  and  that 
it  was  as  impoflible,  that  true  Chriflianity 
fhould  be  Supported  thus,  as  it  is  that  a  man 
fhould  long  be  nourifhcd  by  eating  his  own 
flefh.  To  difplay  the  genuine  fruits  of 
Chriflianity  in  a  good  life,  to  be  ready  to 
plead  with  meeknefs  and  fweetnefs  for  th« 
dodtrines  it  teaches,  and  to  labour  by  every 

office 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      151 

office  of  humanity  and  goodnefs  to  gain  up- 
on them  that  oppole  it,  were  the  weapons 
with  which  this  good  foldier  of  Jefus  Ghrift 
faithfully  fought  the  battles  of  the  Lord. 
Thefe  weapons  will  always  be  vi&orious  in 
his  caufe  ;  and  they  who  have  recourle  to 
others  of  a  different  temperature,  how  ftrong 
foever  they  may  feem,  and  how  (harp  foever 
they  may  really  be,  will  find  they  break  in 
their  hands  when  they  exert  them  moll  fu- 
rioufly,  and  are  much  more  likely  to  wound 
themfelves,than  to  conquer  the  enemies  they 
oppofe. 

But  while  I  am  fpeaking  of  Colonel  Gar- 
diner's charity  in  this  refpefii,  I  muft  not  o- 
mit  that  of  another  kind,  which  has  indeed 
ingroflTed  the  name  of  charity  much  more 
than  it  ought,  excellent  as  it  is  ;  I  mean 
almfgiving,  for  which  he  was  very  remarka- 
ble. 1  have  often  wondered,  how  he  was 
able  to  do  fo  many  generous  things  this  way  : 
But  his  frugality  fed  the  fpring.  He  made 
no  pleafurable  expenfe  on  himfelf,  and  was 
contented  with  a  very  decent  appearance  in 
his  family,  without  affecting  fuch  an  air  of 
grandeur,  as  could  not  have  been  fupported, 
without  facrificing  to  it  fatisfa£tions  far  no- 
bler, and  to  a  temper  like  his,  far  mare  de- 
lightful. The  lively  and  tender  feelings  of 
his  heart,  in  favour  of  the  diftreffed  and  af- 
flicted, 


*5*      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

fli£ted,  made  it  a  felf  indulgence  to  him  to 
relieve  them  ;  and  the  deep  convi&ion  he 
had  of  the  vain  and  tranfitory  nature  of  the 
enjoyments  of  this  world,  together  with  the 
fublime  view  he  had  of  another,  engaged  him 
to  difpenfe  his  bounties  with  a  very  liberal 
hand,  and  even  to  feekout  proper  obje&s  of 
them  :  And  above  all,  his  fmcere  and  ardent 
love  to  the  Lord  Jefus  Chrift,  engaged  him 
to  feel,  with  a  true  fympathy,  the  concerns 
of  his  poor  members.      In  confequence  of 
this,  he  honoured  feveral  of  his  friends  with 
commiffions  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  ;  and 
particularly,  with  relation  to  fome  under  my 
paftoral  care,  he  referred  it  to  my  difcretion 
to  fupply  them  with  what  I   fhould  judge 
expedient,  and  frequently  preffed  me  in  his 
letters  to  be  Jure  not  to  let  them  -want.     And 
where  perfons  (landing  in  need  of  his  chari- 
ty happened,  as  they  often  did,  to  be  perfons 
of  remarkably  religious   difpofitions,  it  was 
eafy  to  perceive,  that  he  not  only  loved,  but 
honoured  them  ;   and  really  efteemed  it  an 
honour  which  providence   conferred  -  upon 
him,  that  he  fhould  be  made,  as  it  were,  the 
almoner  of  God,  for  the  relief  of  fuch. 

I  cannot  forbear  relating  a  little  (lory 
here,  which,  when  the  Colonel  himfelf  heard 
it,  gave  him  fuch  exquifite  pleafure,  that  I 
hope  it  will  be  acceptable  to  feveral  of  my 

readers. 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      153 

readers.  There  was  in  a  village  about  three 
miles  from  Northampton,  and  in  a  family 
which  of  all  others  near  me  was  afterwards 
mod  indebted  to  him,  (though  he  had  never 
then  feen  any  member  of  it)  an  aged  and 
poor,  but  eminently  good  woman,  who  had 
with  great  difficulty,  in  the  exercife  of  much 
faith  and  patience,  diligence  and  humility, 
made  fliift  to  educate  a  large  family  of  child- 
ren, after  the  death  of  her  hufband,  without 
being  chargeable  to  the  panfh  ;  which,  as  it 
was  quite  beyond  her  hope,  (he  often  fpoke 
of  with  great  delight.  At  length,  when 
worn  out  with  age  and  infirmities,  fee  lay 
upon  her  dying  bed,  file  did  in  a  mod  live- 
ly ard  affcding  manner  exprefs  her  hope 
and  joy  in  the  views  of  approaching  glory. 
Yet  amid  ft  all  the  triumph  of  fuch  a  prof- 
peft,  there  was  one  remaining  care  and  dif- 
trefs  which  lay  heavy  on  her  mind  ;  which 
was,  that  as  her  journey  and  her  ftock  of 
provifions  were  both  ended  together,  fhe 
feared  that  fhe  mud  either  be  buried  at  the 
parifli  expenfe,  or  leave  her  mod  dutiful  and 
affe&ionate  daughters  the  houfe  dripped  of 
fome  of  the  few  moveables  which  remained 
in  it,  to  perform  the  lad  office  of  duty  to 
her,  which  die  had  reafon  to  believe  they 
would  do.  While  fhe  v/ds  combating  with 
this  only   remaining   anxiety>   I  happened^ 

though 


154     LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

though  I  knew  not  the  extremity  of  her  ill- 
nefs,  to  come  in,  and  to  bring  with  me  a 
guinea,  which  the  generous  Colonel  had  fent 
by  a  fpecial  meffage,  on  hearing  the  charac- 
ter of  the  family,  for  its  relief.  A  prefent 
like  this,  (probably  the  mod  confiderable 
they  had  ever  received  in  their  lives]  corn- 
ing in  this  manner  from  an  entire  ftrangeiy 
at  fuch  a  crifis  of  time,  threw  my  dying  friend 
(for  fuch,  amidft  all  her  poverty,  I  rejoiced 
to  call  her)  into  a  perfect  tranfport  of  joy. 
She  efteemed  it  a  lingular  favour  of  provi- 
dence, fent  to  her  in  her  laft  moments,  as  a 
n  of  goody  and  greeted  it  as  a  fpecial  mark 
of  that  loving  kindnefs  oj  God,  which  fhould 
attend  her  forever.  She  would  therefore  be 
raifed  up  in  her  bed,  that  fhe  might  blefs 
C-pd  for  it  upon  her  knees,  and  with  her  laft 
breath  pray  for  her  kind  and  generous  ben- 
efaftor,  and  for  him  who  had  been  the  in- 
ftrument  of  dire&ing  his  bounty  into  this 
channel.  After  which  fhe  foon  expired, 
with  fuch  tranquillity  and  fweetnefs,  as  could 
not  but  mod  fenfibly  delight  all  who  be- 
held her,  and  occafioned  many,  who  knew 
the  circumftances,  to  glorify  God  on  her  be- 
half 

The  Colonel's  laft  refidence  at  Northamp- 
ton was  in  June  and  July,  1742,  when  Lord 
Cadogan's  regiment  of  dragoons  was  quar- 
tered 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      155 

tered  here  :  And  I  cannot  but  obferve,  that 
wherever  that  regiment  came,  it  was  remark- 
able, not  only  for  the  fine  appearance  it 
made,  and  for  the  exa&nefs  with  which  it 
performed  its  various  exercifes,  (of  which  it 
had  about  this  time  the  honour  to  receive 
the  mod  illuftrious  teftimonials)  but  alfo  for 
the  great  fobriety  and  regularity  of  the  fol- 
diers.  Many  of  the  officers  copied  after  the 
excellent  pattern,  which  they  had  daily  be- 
fore their  eyas,  and  a  confiderable  number 
of  the  private  men  feemed  to  be  perfons,  not 
only  of  ftrift  virtue,  but  of  ferious  piety. 
And  I  doubt  not,  but  they  found  their  a- 
bundant  account  in  it ;  not  only  in  the  fe- 
renity  and  happinefs  of  their  own  minds, 
which  is  beyond  comparifon  the  moft  im- 
portant consideration  ;  but  alfo,  in  fome  de- 
gree, in  the  obliging  and  jrefpectful  treat- 
ment which  they  generally  met  with  in  their 
quarters.  And  I  mention  this,  becaufe  I 
am  perfuaded,  that  if  gentlemen  of  their 
profeflion  knew,  and  would  refleft,  how 
much  more  comfortable  they  make  their 
own  quarters,  by  a  fober,  order)  v,  and  oblig- 
ing conduft,  they  would  be  regular  out  of 
mere  felf  love  ;  if  they  were  not  influenced, 
as  I  heartily  wifh  they  may  always  be,  by  a 
nobler  principle. 

Towards 


156      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

Towards  the  latter  end  of  this  year  he 
embarked  for  Flanders,  and  fpent  fome  con- 
siderable time  with  the  regiment  at  Ghent  ; 
where  he  much  regretted  the  want  of  thofe 
religious  ordinances  and  opportunities  which 
had  made  his  other  abodes  delightful.  But 
as  he  had  made  fo  eminent  a  progrefs  in  that 
■divine  life,  which  they  are  alLintended  to 
promote,  he  "could  not  be  una6live  in  the 
caufe  of  God.  I  have  now  before  me  a  let- 
ter dated  from  thence,  Oftober,  16,  1742,  in 
which  he  writes,  iC  As  for  me,  I  am  indeed 
"  in  a  dry  and  barren  land,  where  no  water  is. 
fi  Rivers  of  waters  run  down  mine  eyes,  be- 
"  caufe  nothing  is  to  be  heard  in  our  Sod- 
cc  om,  but  blafpheming  the  name  of  my 
"  God  ;  and  I  am  not  honoured  as  the  in- 
iAi  ftrument  of  doing  any  great  fervice.  It  is 
*c  true,  I  have  reformed  fix  or  feven  field 
'"  officers  of  fwearing,  I  dine  every  day  with 
"  them,  and  have  entered  them  into  a  vol- 
u  untary  contra£t,  to  pay  a  fhilling  to  the 
cc  poor  for  every  oath  ;  and  it  is  wonderful 
<c  to  obferve  the  effe£l  it  has  had  already. 
cc  One  of  them  told  me  this  day  at  dinner, 
f<  that  it  had  really  fuch  an  influence  upon 
%<  him,  that  being  at  cards  laft  night  when 
€C  another  officer  fell  a  fwearing,  he  was  not 
c<  able  to  bear  it,  but  rofe  up  and  left  the 
^company.     So  you  fee,  reftraints  at  firft 

u  artfing 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      157 

"  arifing  from  a  low  principle,  may  improve 
"  into  fomething  better." 

During  his  abode  here,  he  had  a  great 
deal  of  bufinefs  upon  his  hands  ;  and  had 
alfo,  in  fome  marches,  the  care  of  more  reg- 
iments than  his  own  :  And  it  has  been  very 
delightful  to  me  to  obferve,  what  a  degree 
of  converfe  with  heaven,  and  the  God  of  it, 
he  maintained,  amidft  thefe  fcenes  of  hurry 
and  fatigue  ;  of  which  the  reader  may  find 
a  remarkable  fpecimen  in  the  following  let- 
ter, dated  from  Lichwick,  in  the  beginning 
of  April,  1743,  which  was  one  of  the  laft  I 
received  from  him  while  abroad,  and  begins 
with  thefe  words  :  "  Yefterday  being  the 
"  Lord's  day,  at  fix  in  the  morning,  I  had 
"  the  pleafure  of  receiving  yours  at  Norto- 
"  nick;  and  it  proved  a  Sabbath  day's  bleff- 
"  ing  to  me.  Some  time  before  it  reached 
"  me,"  (from  whence  by  the  way  it  may  be 
obferved,  that  his  former  cuftom  of  riling  fo 
early  to  his  devotions  was  fl  ill  retained)  "I 
"  had  been  zurejlling  with  God  with  many 
€i  tears  ;  and  when  I  had  read  it,  I  returned 
c<  to  my  knees  again,  to  give  hearty  thanks 
cc  to  him  for  all  his  goodnefe-to  you  and 
"  yours^  and  alfo  to  myfelf,  in  that  he  hath 
cc  been  pleafed  to  fiir  up  fo  many  who  are 
u  dear  to  him,  to  be  mindful  of  me  at  the 
u  throne  of  grace."  And  then,  after  the 
O  mention 


158      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

mention  of  fome  other  particulars,  he  adds, 
1  Blefled  and  adored  forever,  be  the  holy 
c  name  of  my  heavenly  father,  who  holds 

*  my  foul  in  life,  and  my  body  in  perfeft 
f  health  !  Were  I  to  recount  his  mercy  and 
c  goodnefs  to  me,  even  in  the  midfl  of  all 
c  thefe  hurries,  I  fhould  never  have  done. — 
c  I  hope  your  matter  will  flill  encourage 
c  you  in  his  work,  and  make  you  a  bleffing 
f  to  many.     My  deareft  friend,  I  am  much 

*  more  yours  than  I  can  exprefs,  and  (hall 
"  remain  fo  while  I  am  J.  G." 

In  this  correfpondence  I  had  a  farther 
opportunity  of  difcovering  that  humble  re~ 
fignation  to  the  will  of  God,  which  made  fo 
amiable  a  part  of  his  charafter,  and  of  which 
before  I  had  feen  fo  many  inftances.  He 
fpeaks,  in  the  letter  from  which  I  have  juft 
bfeen  giving  an  extraft,  of  the  hope  he  had 
exprefled  in  a  former,  of  feeing  us  again  that 
winter ;  and  he  adds,  "  To  be  fure  it  would 
c<  have  been  a  great  pleafure  to  me  :  But  we 
"  poor  mortals  form  proje£fo,  and  the  al- 
"  mighty  ruler  of  the  univerfe  difpofes  of  all 
u  as  he  pleafes.  A  great  many  of  us  were 
"  getting  ready  for  our  return  to  England, 
cc  when  we  received  an  order  to  march  to- 
cc  wards  Frankfort,  to  the  great  furprife  of  the 
cc  whole  army  ;  neither  can  any  of  us  com- 
cc  prehend  what  we  are  to  do  there,  for  there 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      159 

u  is  no  enemy  in  that  country,  the  French 
ci  army  being  marched  into  Bavaria,  where 
u  I  am  fure  we  cannot  follow  them.  But  it 
cc  is  the -will  of  the  Lord,  and  his  will  be  done  ! 
u  I  defire  to  blefs  and  praile  my  heavenly 
u  father  that  I  am  entirely  refigned  to  it. 
"  It  is  no  matter  where  I  go,  or  what  be- 
€f  comes  of  me,  fo  that  God  may  be  glorified 
<c  in  my  life  or  my  death.  I  fhould  rejoice 
u  much  to  hear,  that  all  my  friends  wexQ  e- 
Cf  qually  refigned." 

The  mention  of  this  article  reminds  me 
cf  another,  relating  to  the  views  which  he 
had  of  obtaining  a  regiment  for  himfelf. 
He  endeavoured  to  deferve  it  by  the  moil 
faithful  fervices  ;  fome  of  them  indeed  be- 
yond what  the  ftrength  of  his  conftitution 
would  well  bear  :  For  the  weather  in  fome 
of  thefe  marches  proved  exceeding  bad,  and 
yet  he  would  be  always  at  the  head  of  his 
people,  that  he  might  look  to  every  thing 
that  concerned  them,  with  the  exa&eft  care. 
This  obliged  him  to  negleft  the  beginnings 
of  afeveriQi  illnefs;  the  natural  confequence 
of  which  was,  that  it  grew  very  formidable, 
forced  a  long  confinement  upon  him,  and 
gave  animal  nature  a  (hock  which  it  never 
recovered. 

In  the  mean  time,  as  he  had  the  promife 
of  a  regiment  before  he  quitted  England,  his- 

friends 


160      LIFE  or  Col.  GARDINER. 

friends  were  continually  expecting  an  occa- 
sion of  congratulating  him  on  having  receiv- 
ed the  command  of  one.  But  ftill  they 
were  difappointed  ;  and  on  fome  of  them 
the  difappointment  feemed  to  lit  heavy. 
As  for  the  Colonel  himfeif,  he  feemed  quite 
eafy  about  it ;  and  appeared  much  greater 
in  that  eafy  fituation  of  mind,  than  the  high- 
eft  military  honours  and  preferments  could 
have  made  him.  With  great  pleafure  do  I 
at  this  moment  recolle6i  the  unafFe&ed  fe- 
renity,  and  even  indifference,  with  which  he 
expreffes  himfelf  upon  this  occafion,  in  a 
letter  to  me.  dated  about  the  beginning  0f 
April,  1743.  u  The  difappointment  of  a 
"  regiment  is  nothing  to  me  ;  for  I  am  fat- 
"  isfied  that  had  it  been  for  God's  glory,  I 
u  fhould  have  had  it ;  and  I  fhould  have 
<f  been  forry  to  have  had  it  on  any  other 
"  terms.  My  heavenly  father  has  beftowed 
c<  upon  me  infinitely  more  than  if  he  had 
cc  made  me  Emperor  of  the  whole  world." 

I  find  feveral  parallel  exprefiions  in  other 
letters  ;  and  thofe  to  his  lady  about  the 
fame  time,  were  juft  in  the  fame  ftrain.  In 
an  extraft  from  one  which  was  written  from 
Aix  la  Chapelle,  April  21,  the  fame  year,  I 
meet  with  thefe  words  :  "  People  here  ira- 
"  agine  I  mud  be  fadly  troubled,  that  I 
"  have  not  got  a  regiment,  for  fix  out  of 

"  feven 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      iSi 

cc  feven  vacant  are  now  difpofed  of ;  but 
<c  they  are  flrangely  miftaken,  for  it  has  giv- 
"  en  me  no  fort  of  trouble  :  My  heavenly 
"  father  knows  what  is  bell  for  me  ;  and 
"  blefled  and  forever  adored  be  his  name, 
cc  he  has  given  me  an  entire  refignation  to 
"  his  will :  Befides,  I  do  not  know  that  ever 
<c  I  met  with  any  difappointment  fmce  I 
"  was  a  Chriftian,  but  it  pleafed  God  to  dif- 
<c  cover  to  me,  that  it  was  plainly  for  my  ad- 
<c  vantage,  by  bellowing  fomething  better 
"  upon  me  afterwards  :  Many  inftances  of 
"  which  I  am  able  to  produce  ;  and  there- 
"  fore  I  fhould  be  the  greateft  of  monlters, 
"  if  I  did  not  truft  in  him.'' 

I  fiiould  be  guilty  of  a  great  omiffion,  if  I 
were  not  to  add,  how  remarkably  the  event 
correfponded  with  his  faith,  on  this  occafion. 
For  whereas  he  had  no  intimation,  or  ex- 
peftation,  of  any  thing  more  than  a  regiment 
of  foot,,  his  Majefty  was  pleafed,  cut  of  his 
great  goodnefs,  to  give  him  a  regiment  of 
dragoons,  which  was  then  quartered  jufl  in 
his  own  neighbourhood.  And  it  is  properly 
remarked  by  the  reverend  and  worthy  per- 
fon  through  whofe  hands  this  letter  was 
tranfmitled  to  me,  that  when  the  Colonel 
thus  expreffed  himfelf,  he  could  have  no 
profpefl  of  what  he  afterwards  fo  foon  ob- 
tained ;  as  General  Bland's  regiment,  to 
O  2  which 


162      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

whidi  he  was  advanced,  was  only  vacant  on 
the  19th  of  April,  that  is,  two  days  before 
the  date  of  this  letter,  when  it  was  impoffi- 
ble  he  fhould  have  any  notice  of  that  vacan- 
cy. And  it  alfo  deferves  obfervation,  that 
fome  few  days  after  the  Colonel  was  thus 
unexpeftedly  promoted  to  the  command  of 
thefe  dragoons,  Brigadier  Cornwallis's  regi- 
ment of  foot,  then  in  Flanders,  became  va- 
cant :  Now  had  this  happened  before  his 
promotion  to  General  Bland's,  Colonel  Gar- 
diner, in  all  probability  would  only  have 
had  tkat  regiment  of  foot,  and  fo  have  con- 
tinued in  Flanders.  When  the  affair  was 
iffued^  he  informs  Lady  Frances  of  it,  in  a 
letter  dated  from  a  village  near  Frankfort, 
May  3,  in  which  he  refers  to  his  former  of 
the  21ft  of  April,  obfervinghow  remarkably 
it  was  verified  "in  God's  having  given  him," 
(for  fo  he  expreffes  it,  agreeably  to  the  views 
he  continually  maintained  of  the  univerfal 
agency  of  divine  providence)  c<  what  he  had 
<c  no  expe&ation  of,  and  what  was  fo  much 
cc  better  than  that  which  he  had  miffed,  a 
"  regiment  of  dragoons  quartered  at  his  own 
u  door." 

It  appeared  to  him  that  by  this  remarka- 
ble event  providence  called  him  home.  Ac- 
cordingly, though  he  had  other  preferments 
offered  him,  in  the  army,  he  chofe  to  return> 

and 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      i03 

and  I  believe  the  more  willingly,  as  he  did 
not  expeft  there  would  have  been  an  a&ion. 
Juft  at  this  time  it  pleafed  God  to  give  him 
an  awful  inftance  of  the  uncertainty  of  hu- 
man profpe&s  and  enjoyments,  by  that  vi- 
olent fever,  which  feized  him  at  Ghent  in 
his  way  to  England,  and  perhaps  the  more 
feverely,  for  the  efforts  he  made  to  pufh  on 
his  journey,  though  he  had  for  fome  days 
been  much  indifpofed.  It  was,  I  think,  one 
of  the  firft  fits  of  fevere  illnefs  he  had  ever 
met  with  ;  and  he  was  ready  to  look  upon 
it,  as  a  fudden  call  into  eternity  :  But  it  gave 
him  no  painful  alarm  in  that  view,  Ke 
committed  himfelf  to  the  God  of  his  life, 
and  in  a  few  weeks  he  was  fo  well  recovered, 
as  to  be  capable  of  purfuing  his  journey, 
though  not  without  difficulty  :  And  I  can- 
not but  think,  it  might  have  conduced  much 
to  a  more  perfeft  recovery  than  he  ever  at- 
tained, to  have  allowed  himfelf  a  longer  re- 
pofe,  in  order  to  recruit  his  exhaufted 
ftrength  and  fpirits.  But  there  was  an  ac- 
tivity in  his  temper,  not  eafy  to  be  rcftrun- 
ed  ;  and  it  was  now  ftimulated,  not  only  by 
a  defire  of  feeing  his  friends,  but  of  being 
with  his  regiment ;  that  he  might  omit  noth- 
ing in  his  power,  to  regulate  their  morals 
and  their  difcipiine,  and  to  form  them  for 
public    fervice.      Accordingly    he    pafled 

through 


*64     LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

through  London  about  the  middle  of  June, 
1743,  where  he  had  the  honour  of  waiting 
on  their  Royal  Highneffes  the  Prince  and 
Princefs  of  Wales,  and  of  receiving  from 
both  the  moft  obliging  tokens  of  favour  and 
efteem.  He  arrived  at  Northampton  on 
Monday  the  20th  of  June,  and  fpent  part  of 
three  days  here.  But  the  great  pleafure 
which  his  return  and  preferment  gave  us, 
was  much  abated,  by  obferving  his  counte- 
nance fo  fadly  altered,  and  the  many  marks 
of  languor,  and  remaining  diforder,  which 
evidently  appeared  ;  fo  that  he  really  looked 
ten  years  older,  than  he  had  done  ten  months 
before.  I  had  however  a  fatisfa&ion,  fuf- 
ficient  to  counterbalance  much  of  the  con- 
cern which  this  alteration  gave  me,  in  a  re- 
newed opportunity  of  obferving,  indeed 
more  fenfrbly  than  ever,  in  how  remarkable 
a  degree  he  was  dead  to  the  enjoyments  and 
views  of  this  mortal  life.  When  I  congrat- 
ulated him  on  the  favourable  appearances 
of  providence  for  him  in  the  late  event,  he 
briefly  told  me  the  remarkable  circumflances 
that  attended  it,  with  the  moft  genuine  im~ 
preflions  of  gratitude  to  God  for  them  ;  but 
added,  cc  that  as  his  account  was  increafed 
"  with  his  income,  power,  and  influence,  and 
€€  his  cares  were  proportionably  increafed, 
u  it  was  as  to  his  own  -oerfonal  concern  much 

M  the 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      165 

u  the  fame  to  him,  whether  he  had  remained 
<f  in  his  former  ftation,  or  been  elevated  to 
iC  this  ;  but  that  if  God  fbould  by  this  means 
iC  honour  him,  as  an  inflrument  of  doing 
<c  more  good  than  he  could  otherwife  have 
u  done,  he  fhould  rejoice  in  it." 

I  perceived  that  the  near  views  he  had 
taken  of  eternity,  in  the  illnefs  from  which 
he  was  then  fo  imperfectly  recovered,  had 
not  in  the  leaft  alarmed  him  ;  but  that  he 
would  have  been  entirely  willing,  had  fuch 
been  the  determination  of  God,  to  have 
been  cut  (hort  in  a  foreign  land,  without 
any  earthly  friend  near  him,  and  in  the 
midft  of  a  journey,  undertaken  with  hopes 
and  profpe&s  fo  pleafing  to  nature  ;  which 
appeared  to  me  no  inconfiderable  evidence 
of  the  ftrength  of  his  faith.  But  we  fhall 
wonder  the  lefs  at  this  extraordinary  refig- 
nation,  if  we  confider  the  joyful  and  allured 
profpeft  which  he  had  of  an  happinefs  in- 
finitely fuperior  beyond  the  grave  ;  of  which 
that  worthy  minifter  of  the  church  of  Scot- 
land, who  had  an  opportunity  cf  converfi-ng 
with  him  quickly  after  his  return,  and  hav- 
ing the  memorable  ftory  of  his  converuon 
from  his  own  mouth,  as  I  have  hinted  above, 
writes  thus  in  his  letter  to  me,  dated  Jan. 
14,  1746-7.  <c  When  he  came  to  review  his 
"  regiment  at  Linlithgow  in  fummer  1743* 

iC  after 


i66      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

a  after  having  given  me  the  wonderful  ftory 
u  as  above,  he  concluded  in  words  to  this 
"  purpofe  :  Let  me  die,  whenever  it  fhall 
cc  pleafe  God,  or  wherever  it  fhall  be,  I  am 
u  fure  I  fhall  go  to  the  manfions  of  eternal 
<c  glory,  and  enjoy  my  God  and  my  redeem- 
cc  er  in  heaven  forever." 

While  he  was  with  us  at  this  time,  he  ap- 
peared deeply  affe6ted  with  the  fad  ftate  of 
things  as  to  religion  and  morals  ;  and  feem- 
ed  to  apprehend,  that  the  rod  of  God  was 
hanging  over  fo  finful  a  nation.  He  ob- 
ferved  a  great  deal  of  difafFe&ion,  which  the 
enemies  of  the  government  had,  by  a  variety 
of  artifices,  been  raifingin  Scotland  for  fome 
years  ;  and  the  number  of  Jacobites  there, 
together  with  the  defencelefs  ftate  in  which 
our  ifland  then  was,  with  refpe6l  to  the 
number  of  its  forces  at  home,  (of  which  he 
fpoke  at  once  with  great  concern  and  afton- 
ifhment)  led  him  to  expedt  an  invafion  from 
France,  and  an  attempt  in  favour  of  the  pre- 
tender, much  fooner  than  it  happened.  I 
have  heard  him  fay,  many  years  before  it 
came  fo  near  being  accomplifhed,  "  that  a 
"  few  thoufands  might  have  a  fair  chance  for 
"  marching  from  Edinburgh  to  London  un- 
"  controlled,  and  throw  the  whole  kingdom 
cc  into  an  aftonifhment."  And  I  have  great 
reafon  to  believe,  that  this  was  one  main 

confideration^ 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      167 

confideration,  which  engaged  him  to  make 
fuch  hafte  to  his  regiment,  then  quartered  in 
thofe  parts  ;  as  he  imagined  there  was  not  a 
fpot  of  ground,  where  he  might  be  more  like 
to  have  a  call  to  expofe  his  life  in  the  fer- 
vice  of  his  country  ;  and  perhaps,  by  ap- 
pearing on  a  proper  call  early  in  its  defence, 
•  be  inftruthental  in  fuppreffing  the  begin- 
nings of  moft  formidable  mifchief.  How 
rightly  he  judged  in  thefe  things,  the  event 
did  too  evidently  fhew. 

The  evening  before  our  lafl  feparation,  as 
I  knew  I  could  not  entertain  the  invaluable 
friend  who  was  then  my  gueft  more  agree- 
ably, I  preached  a  fermon  in  my  own  houfe, 
with  fome  peculiar  reference  to  his  cafe  and 
circumftances,  from  thofe  ever  memorable 
words,   than   which   I   have   never  felt  any 
more  powerful  and  more  comfortable  :  Pfal. 
xci.  14,  15,  16.    Becaufe  he  hath  fet  his  love 
upon  me,  therefore  will  I  deliver  him  ;  I  will 
fet  him  on  high,  becaufe  he  hath  known  my 
name  :  He.fhall  call  upon  me,  and  I  will  an- 
fever  him  :    1  will  be  with  him  in  trouble,  I 
will  deliver  him,  and  honour  him  :  With  long 
life  (or  length  of  days)  will  1 '  fatisfy  him,  and 
fhew  him  myfalvation.    This  fcripture  could 
not  but  lead  our  meditations  to  furvey  the 
chara&er  of  the  good  man,  as  one  who  fo 
knows  the  name  of  the  bleffed  God,  (has  fuch 

a  deep 


i-68      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

a  deep  apprehenfion  of  the  glories  and  per- 
fe£tions  of  his  nature)  as  determinately  to  ftt 
his  love  upon  him ,  to  make  him  the  fupreme 
ohje£l  ot  his  moft  ardent  and  conflant  affec- 
tion. And  it  fuggefted  the  moft  fublime 
and  animating  hop^s  to  perfons  of  fuch  a 
charafter  ;  that  their  prayers  (hall  be  always 
acceptable  unto  God  ;  that  though  they 
may,  and  muft,  be  called  out  to  their  (hare 
in  the  troubles  and  calamities  of  life,  yet  they 
may  affure  themfelves  of  the  divine  prefence 
in  all  ;  which  (hail  iffue  in  their  deliverance, 
in  their  exaltation,  fometimes  to  diftinguiflb- 
ed  honour  and  efteem  among  men,  and,  it 
-may  be,  in  a  long  courfe  of  ufeful  and  hap- 
py years  on  earth  at  leaft,  which  fhall  un- 
doubtedly end  in  feeing,  to  their  perpetual 
delight,  the  complete  falvation  of  God,  in  a 
world  where  they  fhall  enjoy  length  of  days 
forever  and  ever,  and  employ  them  all  in 
adoring  the  great  author  of  their  falvation 
and  felicity.  It  is  evident,  that  thefe  nat- 
ural thoughts  on  fuch  a  fcripture,  were  mat- 
ters c-f  univerfal  concern.  Yet  had  I  known 
that  this  was  the  la  ft  time  I  fhould  ever  ad- 
drefs  Colonel  Gardiner,  as  a  minifter  of  the 
gofpel,  and  had  I  forefeen  the  fcenes  through 
which  God  was  about  to  lead  him,  I  hardly 
know  what  confiderations  I  could  have  fug- 
gefted with  more  peculiar  propriety.     The 

attention, 


LIFE  of  Col;  GARDINER.      169 

attention,  elevation,  and  delight,  with  which 
he  heard  them,  was  very  apparent ;  and  the 
pleafure  which  the  obfervation  of  it  gave 
nie,  continues  to  this  moment.  And  let 
me  be  permitted  to  digrefs  fo  far,  as  to  add* 
that  this  is  indeed  the  great  fupport  of  a 
Chriftian  minifter,  under  the  many  dif- 
couragements  and  disappointments  which 
he  meets  with,  in  his  attempts  to  fix  upon 
the  profligate  or  the  thoughtlefs  part  of 
mankind  a. deep  fenfe  of  religious  truth; 
that  there  is  another  important  part  of  his 
work,  in  which  he  may  hope  to  be  more 
generally  fuccefsful  ;  as  by  plain,  artlefs,  but 
lerious  difcourfes,  the  great  principles  of 
Chriftian  duty  and  hope  may  be  nourifhed 
and  invigorated  in  good  men,  their  graces 
watered  as  at  the  root,  and  their  fouls  ani- 
tnated  both  to  perfevere  and  improve  in  ho- 
linefs.  And  when  we  are  efFe6lually  per- 
forming fuch  benevolent  offices,  fo  well 
fuiting  our  immortal  natures,  to  perfons 
whofe  hearts  are  cementecf  with  ours  in  the 
bonds  of  the  mod  endearing  and  facred 
friendship,  it  is  too  little  to  fay  it  overpays 
the  fatigue  of  our  labours  ;  it  even  fwallows 
up  all  fenfe  of  it,  in  the  mod  rational  and 
fublime  pleafure. 

An  incident  occurs  to  .my  mind,  which 
happened  that  evening,  which   at  leaft  for 
P  the 


170     LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

the  oddnefs  of  it  may  deferve  a  place  in 
thefe  memoirs.  I  had  then  -with  me  one 
Thomas  Porter,  a  poor,  but  very  honeft  and 
religious  man,  now  living  at  Hatfield  Broad- 
oak  in  Effex,  who  is  quite  unacquainted 
with  letters,  fo  as  not  to  be  able  to  diftin- 
guifh  one  from  another ;  yet  is  matter  of 
the  contents  of  the  Bible  in  fo  extraordinary 
a  degree,  that  he  has  not  only  fixed  an  im- 
menfe  number  of  texts  in  his  memory,  but 
merely  by  hearing  them  quoted  in  fermons 
has  regiftered  there  the  chapter  and  verfe,  in 
which  thefe  paffages  are  to  be  found  :  This 
is  attended  with  a  marvellous  facility  in  di- 
re6ling  thofe  that  can  read,  to  turn  to  them, 
and  a  mod  unaccountable  talent  for  fixing 
on  fuch  as  fuit  almoft  every  imaginable  va- 
riety of  circumftances  in  common  life. 
There  are  two  confiderations  in  his  cafe, 
which  make  it  the  mere  wonderful  :  The 
one,  that  he  is  a  perfon  of  a  very  low  geni- 
us, having,  befides  a  Hammering,  which 
makes  his  fpeech  almoft  unintelligible  to 
flrangers,  fo  wild  and  aukward  a  manner  of 
behaviour,  that  he  is  frequently  taken  for  an 
idiot,  and  feems  in  many  things  to  be  indeed 
fo  :  The  other,  that  he  grew  up  to  manhood 
in  a  very  licentious  courfe  of  living,  and  an 
entire  ignorance  of  divine  things,  fo  that  all 
thefe  cxa£l  imprefiions  on  his  memory  have 

been 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      171 

been  made  in  his  riper  years.  I  thought  it 
would  not  be  difagreeable  to  the  CoL  to  in- 
troduce to  him  this  odd  phenomenon,  which 
many  hundreds  of  people  have  had  a  curi- 
ofity  to  examine  :  And  among  all  the  ftrange 
things  I  have  feen  in  him,  I  never  remem- 
ber any  which  equalled  what  palled  on  this 
occafion.  On  hearing  the  Colonel's  pro- 
feffion,  and  receiving  fome  hints  of  his  re- 
ligious charafter,  he  ran  through  a  vafl  va- 
riety of  fcriptures,  beginning  at  the  Penta- 
teuch and  going  on  to  the  Revelation,  re- 
lating either  to  the  dependence  to  be  fixed 
on  God  for  the  fuccefs  of  military  prepara- 
tions, or  to  the  inftances  and  promifcs  oc~ 
curring  there  of  his  care  of  good  men  in  the 
mofl  imminent  dangers,  or  to  the  encour- 
agement to  defpife  perils  and  death,  while 
engaged  in  a  good  caufe,  and  fupported  by 
the  views  of  a  happy  immortality.  I  be- 
lieve he  quoted  more  than  twenty  of  thefc 
paffages  ;  and  I  mud  freely  own,  that  I 
know  not  who  could  have  chofe  them  with 
greater  propriety.  If  my  memory  doth  not 
deceive  me,  the  lafl  of  this  catalogue  was 
that  from  which  I  afterwards  preached  on 
the  lamented  occafion  of  this  great  man's 
fall  :  Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will 
give  thee  a  crown  of  life.  We  were  all  af- 
tonifhed  at  fo  remarkable  a  faft  ;    and  I 

queftion 


172      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

queftion  not,  but  that  many  of  my  readers 
will  think  the  memory  of  it  worthy  of  being 
thus  preferved. 

But  to  return  to  my  main  fubjeft :  The 
next  day  after  the  fermon  and  converfation 
of  which  I  have  been  fpeaking,  I  took  my 
laft  leave  of  my  ineftimable  friend,  after  at- 
tending him  fome  part  of  his  way  north- 
ward. rI  he  firft  ftage  of  our  journey  was 
to  the  cottage  of  that  poor,  but  v^ry  religious 
family,  which  I  had  occafion  to  mention  a- 
bove,  as  relieved,  and  indeed  in  a  great 
meafure  fubfifted,  by  his  charity.  And 
nothing  could  be  more  delightful,  than  to 
obferve  the  condefcenfion,  with  which  he 
converfed  with  thefe  his  humble  penfioners. 
We  there  put  up  our  laft  united  prayers  to- 
gether ;  and  he  afterwards  exprefled  in  the 
ftrongeft  terms  I  ever  heard  him  ufe  on 
fuch  an  occafion,  the  Angular  pleafure  with 
which  he  had  joined  in  them.  Indeed  it 
was  no  fmall  fatisfa&ion  to  me,  to  have  an 
opportunity  of  recommending  fuch  a  valu- 
able friend  to  the  divine  prote&ion  and 
blefling,  with  that  particular  freedom,  and 
enlargement  on  what  was  peculiar  in  his 
circumflances,  which  hardly  any  other  fitu- 
ation,  unlefs  we  had  been  quite  alone,  could 
fo  conveniently  have  admitted.  We  went 
from  thence  to  the  table  of  a  perfon  of  dif- 

-tindtion 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      173 

tin&ion  in  the  neighbourhood ;  where  he 
had  an  opportunity  of  fhewing,  in  how  de- 
cent and  graceful  a  manner  he  could  unite 
the  Chriftian  and  the  gentleman,  and  give 
conversation  an  improving  and  religious 
turn,,  without  violating  any  of  the  rules  of 
polite  behaviour,  or  faying  or  doing  any 
thing  which  looked  at  all  conftrained  or  af- 
fected. Here  we  took  our  laft  embrace, 
committing  each  other  to  the  care  of  the  God 
of  heaven  ;  and  the  Colonel  purfued  his 
journey  to  the  north,  where  he  fpent  all  the 
remainder  of  his  days. 

The  more  I  refle£l  upon  this  appoint- 
ment of  providence,  the  more  I  difcern  of 
the  beauty  and  wifdom  of  it ;  not  only  as  it 
led  direftly  to  that  glorious  period  of  life, 
with  which  God  had  determined  to  honour 
him,  and  in  which  I  think,  it  becomes  all 
his  friends  to  rejoice  ;  but  alfo,  as  the  re- 
tirement on  which  he  entered,  could  wot  but 
have  a  happy  tendency  to  favour  his  more 
immediate  and  complete  preparation  for  fo 
fpeedy  a  remove.  To  which  we  may  add, 
that  it  mud  probably  have  a  very  powerful 
influence  to  promote  the  interefts  of  relig- 
ion (incomparably  the  greatefl  of  all  inter- 
efts) among  the  members  of  his  own  family  ; 
who  mufi  furely  edify  much  by  fuch  dally 
leffons  as  they  received  from  his  lips,  when 
P  2  they 


174     LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

they  faw  them  illuftrated  and  enforced  by 
fo  admirable  an  example,  and  this  for  two 
complete  years.  It  is  the  more  remarkable, 
as  I  cannot  find  from  the  memoirs  of  his  life 
in  my  hands,  that  he  had  ever  been  fo  long 
at  home  fince  he  had  a  family,  or  indeed, 
from  his  childhood,  ever  fo  long  at  a  time 
in  any  one  place. 

With  how  clear  a  luftre  his  lamp  fhone, 
and  with  what  holy  vigour  his  loins  were 
girded  up  in  the  fervice  of  his  God,  in  thefe 
his  latter  days,  I  learn  in  part  from  the  let- 
ters of  feveral  excellent  perfons,  in  the  min- 
iftry,  or  in  fecular  life,  with  whom  I  have 
fince  converfed  or  correfponded.  And  in 
his  many  letters  dated  from  Bankton  during 
this  period,  I  have  (till  farther  evidence  how 
happy  he  was,  amidft  thofe  infirmities  of 
body,  which  his  tendernefs  for  me  would 
feldom  allow  him  to  mention  ;  for  it  ap- 
pears from  them,  what  a  daily  intercourfe 
he  kept  up  with  heaven,  and  what  delight- 
ful communion  with  God  crowned  his  at- 
tendance on  publick  ordinances,  and  his 
fweet  hours  of  devout  retirement.  He 
mentions  his  facramental  opportunities  with 
peculiar  relifh,  crying  out  as  in  a  holy  rap- 
ture, in  reference  to  one  and  another  of 
them,  "  O  how  gracious  a  mafter  do  we 
<c  ferve  !  how  pleafant  is  his  fervice  !   how 

"  rich 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.       175 

"  rich  the  entertainments  of  his  love  !  yet, 
"  oh  how  poor  and  cold  are  our  fervices  !" 
But  I  will  not  multiply  quotations  of  this 
fort,  after  thofe  I  have  given  above,  which 
may  be  a  fufficient  fpecimen  of  many  more 
in  the  fame  ftrain.  This  hint  may  fuffice 
to  fhew,  that  the  fame  ardour  of  foul  held 
out  in  a  great  meafure  to  the  laft  ;  and 
indeed  it  leems,  that  towards  the  clofe  of 
life,  like  the  flame  of  a  lamp  almoft  expir- 
ing, it  fometimes  exerted  an  unufual  blaze. 
He  fpent  much  of  his  time  at  Bankton  in 
religious  folitude  ;  and  one  mod  intimately 
converfant  with  him  affures  me,  that  the 
traces  of  that  delightful  converfe  with  God, 
which  he  enjoyed  in  it,  might  eafily  be  dis- 
cerned in  that  folemn  yet  cheerful  counte- 
nance, with  which  he  often  came  out  of  his 
ciofet.  Yet  his  exercifes  there  muft  fome- 
times have  been  very  mournful,  confidering 
the  melancholy  views  which  he  had  of  the 
ftate  of  our  publick  affairs.  "  I  fhould  be 
"  glad,"  fays  he,  in  a  letter  which  he  fent 
me  about  the  clofe  of  the  year  1743,  ic  to 
<c  hear  what  wife  and  good  people  among 
u  you  think  of  the  prefent  circumftances  of 
u  things.  For  my  own  part,  though  I  thank 
"  God  I  fear  nothing  for  myfelf,  my  appre- 
u  henfions  for  the  publick  are  very  gloomy, 
"  confidering  the  deplorable  prevalency  of 

11  almoft 


176      LIFE  of  Col.  CARDTNEK. 

"  almoft  all  kinds  of  wickednefs  amongft  us  ; 
"  the  natural  confequence  of  the  contempt 
*€  of  the  gofpel.  I  am  daily,  offeririg  my 
ff  prayers  to  God  for  this  finful  land  of  ours, 
Ci  over  which  his  judgments  feem  to  begath- 
fi  ering ;  and  my  ftrength  is  fometimes  fo  ex- 
c<  haufted  with  thofe  ftrong  cries  and  tears 
"  which  I  pour  out  before  God  on  this  oc- 
"  cafion,  that  I  am  hardly  able  to  (land  when 
<c  I  arife  from  my  knees. "  If  we  have 
many  remaining  to  (land  in  the  breach  with 
equal  fervency,  I  hope,  crying  as  our  prov- 
ocations are,  God  will  ftill  be  intreated  for 
us,  and  fave  us. 

Moft  of  the  other  letters  I  had  the  pleaf- 
wre  of  receiving  from  him  after  our  la  ft  Yep* 
aration,  are  either  filled,  like  thofe  of  former 
years,  with  tender  expreffions  of  affectionate 
folicitude  for  my  dome  flic  comfort  and  pub- 
lick  ufefulnefs,.  or  relate  to  the  writings  I 
publiflied  during  this  time,  or  to  the  affairs 
of  his  elded  fon  then  under  my  care.  But 
thefe  are  things,  which  are  by  no  means  of 
a  nature  to  be  communicated  here,  ft  is 
enough  to  remark  in  the  general,  that  the 
Chriftian  was  ftill  mingled  with  all  the  care 
of  the  friend  and  the  parent. 

But  I  think  it  incumbent  upon  me  to  ota 
ferve,  that  during  this  time,  and  fome  pre- 
ceding years,,  his  attention,  ever  wakeful  to- 

fuch 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      177 

fuch  concerns,  was  much  engaged  by  fome 
religious  appearances,  which  happened  a- 
bout  this  time,  both  in  England  and  Scot- 
land ;  with  regard  to  which  fome  may  be 
curious  to  know  his  fentiments.  He  com- 
municated them  to  me  with  the  moll  unre- 
ferved  freedom  ;  and  I  cannot  apprehend 
myfelf  under  any  engagements  to  conceal 
them,  as  I  am  perfuaded  that  it  will  be  no 
prejudice  to  his  memory  that  they  fhould  be 
publickly  known. 

It  was  from  Colonel  Gardiner's  pen  that 
I  received  the  firft  notice  of  that  ever  mem- 
orable fcene  which  was  opened  at  Kyliyth, 
under  the  miniftry  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mac- 
Culloch,  in  the  month  of  February,  1741-2. 
He  communicated  to  me  the  copy  of  two 
letters  from  that  eminently  favoured  fervant 
of  God,  giving  an  account  of  that  extraor- 
dinary fuccefs  which  had  within  a  few  days 
accompanied  his  preaching  ;  when,  as  I  re- 
member, in  a  little  more  tban  a  fortnight,  a 
hundred  and  thirty  fouls,  who  had  before 
continued  in  long  infenfibility  under  the 
faithful  preaching  of  the  gofpel,  were  awak- 
ened on  a  fudden  to  attend  it,  as  if  it  had 
been  a  new  revelation  brought  down  from 
heaven,  and  attefted  by  as  aftonifhing  mira- 
cles as  ever  were  wrought  by  Peter  or  Paul ; 
though  they  heard   it   only  from  a  perfon, 

under 


178      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

under  whofe  miniftry  they  have  fate  for 
feveral  years.  Struck  with  a  power  and 
majefty  in  the  word  of  God,  which  they  had 
never  felt  before,  they  crowded  his  houfe 
night  and  day,  making  their  applications  to 
him  for  fpiritual  dire6tion  and  affiftance, 
with  an  earneftnefs  and  lblicitude,  which 
floods  of  tears  andcries,  that  fwallowed  up 
their  own  words  and  his,  could  not  fuffic- 
iently  exprefs.  The  Colonel  mentioned 
this  at  firft  to  me,  <c  as  matter  cf  eternal 
praife,  which  he  knew  would  rejoice  my 
very  foul  :§i  And  when  he  faw  it  fpread  id 
the  neighbouring  parts,  and  obferved  the 
glorious  reformation  which  it  produced  in 
the  lives  of  great  multitudes,  and  the  abid- 
ing fruits  of  it  for  fucceeding  months  and 
years,  it  increafed  and  confirmed  his  joy. 
But  the  facts  relating  to  this  matter  have 
been  laid  before  the  world  in  fo  authentic  a 
manner,  and  the  agency  of  divine  grace  ia 
them  has  been  fo  rationally  vindicated,  and 
fo  pathetically  reprefented,  in  what  the  rev- 
erend and  judicious  Mr.  Webfter  has  writ- 
ten upon  that  fubjefi  ;  that  it  is  altogether 
fuperfluous  for  me  to  add  any  thing  farther 
than  my  hearty  prayers,  that  the  work  may 
be  as  extenfr/e  as  it  was  apparently  glorious 
and  divine. 

It 


LIFE  or  Col.  GARDINER.      179 

It  was  with  great  pleafure  that  he  receiv- 
ed any  intelligence  of  a  like  kind  from  Eng- 
land ;  whether  the  clergy  of  the  eftablifhed 
church  or  diflen  ing  minifters,  whether  our 
own  countrymen  or  foreigners,  were  the  in- 
ftruments  of  it.  And  whatever  weakneffes 
or  errors  might  mingle  themfelves  with  val- 
uable qualities  in,  fuch  as  were  a&ivein  fuch 
a  work,  he  appeared  to  love  and  Jionour 
them,  in  proportion  to  the  degree  he  faw 
reafon  to  believe.their  hearts  were  devoted 
to  the  fervice  of ..  Chrift,  and  their  attempts 
owned  and  fucceeded  by  him.  I  remember 
that  mentioning  one  of  thele  gentlemen, 
who  had  been  remarkably  fuccefsful  in  his 
miniftry,  and  feemed  to  have  met  with 
fome  unkind  ufage,  he  fays,  cc  I  had  rather 
"  be  that  defpifed  pcrfecuted  man,  to  be  an 
"  inftrument  in  the  hand  of  the  fpirit,  in 
ic  converting  fo  many  fouls,  and  building  up 
"  fo  many  in  their  holy  faith,  than  I  would 
"  be  Emperor  of  the  whole  world."  Yet 
this  fleady  and  judicious  Chriftian,  (Tor  fuch 
lie  mod  afluredly  was)  at  the  fame  time  thai- 
he  efteemed  a  man  for  his  good  intention 
and  his  worthy  qualities,  did  not  fuffer  him- 
felf  to  be  hurried  away  into  all  the  Angular^ 
hy  of  his  fentiments,  or  to  admire  his  im- 
prudences or  excefles.  On  the  contrary,  he 
Saw  and  lamented   that   artiSce    which   the 

£re<vt 


180      LIFE  op  Col.. GARDINER. 

great  father  of  fraud  has  fo  long  and  fo  fuc- 
cefsfully  been  praftifing  ;  who,  like  the  en- 
emies of  Ifrael,  when  he  cannot  entirely 
prevent  the  building  of  God's  temple,  does 
as  it  were  offer  his  affiftance  to  carry  on  the 
work^  that  he  may  thereby  get  the  raoft  ef- 
fectual opportunities  of  obftru&ing  it.  The 
Colonel  often  expreffed  his  aflonifhtnent  at 
the  wide  extremes  into  which  fome,  whom 
on  the  whole  he  thought  very  good  men, 
were  permitted  to  run  in  many  doftrinai 
and  fpeculative  points;  and  dtfcerned  how 
evidently  it  appeared  from  hence,  that  we 
cannot  argue  the  truth  of  any  doftrine  from 
the  fuccefs  of  the  preacher  ;  fince  this  would 
be  a  kind  of  demonflration,  (if  I  may  be  al- 
lowed the  expreffion)  which  might  equally 
prove  both  parts  of  a  contradi&ion.  Yet 
when  he  obferved,  that  an  high  regard  to  the 
atonement  and  righteoufnefs  of  Chrift,  and 
to  the  free  grace  of  God  in  him,  exerted  by 
the  operation  of  the  divine  fpirit,  was  gen- 
erally common  to  all  who  had  been  peculi- 
arly fuccefsful  in  the  conversion  and  refor- 
mation of  men,  (how  widely  foever  their 
judgments  might  differ  in  other  points,  and 
how  warmly  foever  they  might  oppofe  each 
other  in  confequence  of  that  diverfity  ;)  it 
tended  greatly  to  confirm  his  faith  in  tbefe 
principles,  as  well  as  to  open  his  heart  in 

love 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      i8t 

love  to  all  of  every  denomination,  who 
maintained  an  affe&ionate  regard  to  them. 
And  though  what  he  remarked  as  to  the 
conduft  and  fuccefs  of  minifters  of  the  mod 
oppofite  drains  of  preaching,  confirmed  him 
in  thefe  fentiments  ;  yet  he  always  efteemed 
and  loved  virtuous  and  benevolent  men, 
even  where  he  thought  them  moft  miftaken 
in  the  notions  they  formed  of  religion,  or  in 
the  methods  by  which  they  attempted  to 
ferve  it. 

While  I  thus  reprefent  what  all  who  knew 
him  mud  foon  have  obferved  of  Colonel 
Gardiner's  affe£fronate  regard  to  thefe  pe- 
culiar doftrines  of  our  holy  religion,  it  is 
neceffary  that  I  fhould  alfo  inform  my  read- 
er, that  it  was  not  his  judgment,  that  the  at- 
tention of  minifters  or  their  hearers  fhould 
be  wholly  ingroffed  by  thefe,  excellent  as 
they  are  ;  but  that  all  the  parts  of  the  fcheme 
of  truth  and  duty  fhould  be  regarded  in  their 
due  connexion  and  proportion.  Far  from 
that  diftempered  tafte,  which  can  bear  noth- 
ing but  cordials,  it  was  his  deliberate  judg- 
ment that  the  law  fhould  be  preached  as  well 
as  the  gofpel  ;  and  hardly  any  thing  gave 
him  greater  offence,  than  the  irreverent 
manner  in  which  fome,  who  have  been  ig- 
norantly  extolled  as  the  moft  zealous  evan- 
gelical preachers,  have  fometimes  been 
Q  tempted 


182      LIFE  of  Col.. GARDINER. 

tempted  to  fpeak  of  the  former  ;  much  in- 
deed to  the  fcandal  of  all  confident  and  ju- 
dicious Chriftians.  He  delighted  to  be  in- 
firu&ed  in  his  duty,  and  to  iiear  much  of 
the  inward  exercifes  of  the  fpiritual  and  di- 
vine life.  And  he  always  wifhed,  fo  far  as 
I  could  obferve,  to  have  thefe  topics  treated 
in  a  rational  as  well  as  a  fpiritual  manner, 
with  folidity  and  order  of  thought,  with  per- 
fpicuity  and  weight  of  expreflion  ;  as  well 
knowing,  that  religion  is  a  mod  reafonable 
fervice  ;  that  God  has  not  chofen  idiots  or 
lunatics  as  the  inftruments,  or  nonfenfe  as 
the  means  of  building  up  his  church  ;  and 
that  though  the  charge  of  enthufiafm  is  often 
fixed  on  chriftianity  and  its  minifters,  in  a 
wild,  undeferved,  and  indeed  (on  the  whole) 
enthufiaftical  manner,  by  fome  of  the  loud- 
eft  or  mod  folemn  pretenders  to  reafon  ; 
yet  there  is  really  fuch  a  thing  as  enthufiafm, 
againft  which  it  becomes  the  true  friends  of 
the  revelation  to  be  diligently  on  their  guard, 
left  chriftianity  inftead  of  being  exalted, 
fhould*  be  greatly  corrupted  and  debafed, 
and  all  manner  of  abfurdity,  both  in  doc- 
trine and  pra&ice,  introduced  by  methods, 
which,  like  perfecution,  throw  truth  and 
falfehood  on  a  level,  and  render  the  groffeft 
errors  at  once  more  plaufible  and  incurable. 
:He  had  too  much  candour  and  equity  to  fix 

general 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      ifj 

general  charges  of  this  nature  ;  but  he  was 
really,  and  I  think  not  vainly,  apprehenfive 
that  the  emiffaries  and  agents  of  the  moffc 
corrupt  church  that  ever  dilhonoured  the 
Chriftian  name,  (by  which  it  will  eafily  be 
underftood,  I  mean  that  of  Rome)  might 
very  poffibly  infinuate  themfelves  into  focu 
eties,  to  which  they  could  not  otherwife 
have  accefs,  and  make  their  advantage  of 
that  total  refignation  of  the  underftanding, 
and  contempt  of  reafon  and  learning,  which 
nothing  but  ignorance,  delirium,  or  knav- 
ery, can  dictate,,  to  lead  men  blindfold 
whither  it  pleafedr  till  it  fet  them  down  a: 
the  foot  of  an  altar,  where  tranfubftantiatiou 
itfelf  is  confecrated.  I  know  not  where  I 
can  more  properly  introduce  another  pare 
of  tlie  Colonel's  chara&er,  which,  obvious 
as  it  was,  I  have  not  yet  touched  upon  ;  I 
mean  his  tendernefs  to  thole  who  were  un- 
der any  fpiritual  diflrefs  ;  wherein  he  was 
indeed  an  example  to  minifters,  in  a  duty 
more  peculiarly  theirs.  I  have  feen  many 
amiable  inftances  of  this  myfelf  •  and  I  have 
been  informed  of  many  others:  One  of 
which  happened  about  the  time  of  that  a* 
wakening  in  the  weftern  parts  of  Scotland, 
which  I  touched  upon  above  ;  when  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Mac  Laurin,  of  Glalgow,  found 
occafiod  to  witnefs  to  the  great  propriety, 

judgment, 


184      LIFE  o?  Col.  GARDINER. 

judgment,  and  felicity,  of  manner,  with 
which  he  addreffed  fpiritual  confolation  to 
an  affli&ed  foul,  who  applied  to  the  profeff- 
or,  at  a  time  when  he  had  not  an  opportu- 
nity immediately  to  give  audience  to  the 
cafe.  And  indeed  as  long  ago  as  the  year 
1726,  I  find  him  writing  to  a  friend  in  a 
ftrain  of  tendernefs  in  this  regard,  which 
might  well  have  become  the  moft  affe&ion- 
ateand  experienced  paftor.  He  there  con- 
gratulates him  on  fome  religious  enjoyments 
lately  received,  (in  part  it  feems  by  his 
means)  when  among  others  he  has  this  mod- 
eft  cxpreflion  :  c<  IF  I  have  been  made  any 
f<  way  the  means  of  doing  you  good,  give 
"  the  whole  glory  to  God ;  for  he  has  been 
u  willing  to  Ihew,  that  the  power  was  entire- 
"  ly  of  himfelf,  fince  he  has  been  pleafed  to 
"  make  ufe  of  fo  very  weak  an  inUrnment." 
In  the  fame  letter  he  admonifhes  his  friend, 
that  he  (hould  not  be  too  much  furprifed,  if 
after  having  been,  as  he  expreffes  it,  upon  the 
mount,'  he  fhould  be  brought  into  the  valley 
again  ;  and  reminds  him  that  c<  we  live  by 
u  faith,  and  not  by  fenfible  affurance;"  rep- 
refenting,  that  there  are  fome  fuch  full  com- 
munications from  God  as  feem  almoft  to 
fwallow  up  the  afilings  of  faith,  from  whence 
they  take  their  rife  :  u  Whereas,  when  a 
"  Chriftian  who  walks  in  darknefs,  and  fees 


LIFE  or  Col.  GARDINER.      185 

<c  no  light,  will  yet  hang  (as  it  were)  on  the 
.!*  report  of  an  abfent  Jelus,  and,"  as  one  ex- 
preffesit  inallufionto  the  (lory  of  Jacob  and 
Jofeph  "  can  put  himfelf,  as  on  the  chariot 
f<  of  the  promifes,,  to  be  borne  on  to  him, 
ff  whom  now  he  fees  not ;  there  may  be  fub- 
"  limer  and  more  acceptable  a&ings  of  a  pure 
"  and  ftrong  faith,  than  in  moments  which 
"  afford  the  foul  a  much  more  rapturous 
"  delight."  This  is  the  fubflance  of  what  he 
fays  in  the  excellent  letter.  Some  of  the 
phrafes  made  ufe  of,  might  not  perhaps  be 
intelligible  to  feveral  of  my  readers,  for 
which  reafon  I  do  not  exaflly  tranferibe 
them  all  :  But  this  is  plainly  and  fully  his 
meaning,  and  mod  of  the  words  are  his 
own.  The  fentiment  is  furely  very  juft  and 
important ;  and  happy  would  it  be  for  many 
excellent  perfons,.  who  through  wrong  no- 
tions of  the  nature  of faith  (which  was  never 
more  mifreprefented  than  now  among  fome) 
are  perplexing  themfelves  with  moft;  ground- 
lefs  doubts  and  fcruples,  if  it  were  more 
generally  underltood,  admitted  and  cofid- 
ered. 

An  endeared  friend,  who  was  moft  inti- 
mately converfant  with  the  Colonel  during 
the  two  laft  years  of  his  life,  has  favoured 
me  with  an  account  of  fome  little  circum- 
fiances  relating  to  him ;  which  I  efteem  as 
Q  2  precious 


186      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

precious  fragments,  by  which  the  confident 
tenor  of  his  chara&er  may  be  farther  illuf- 
trated.  I  fhall  therefore  infert  them  here, 
without  being  very  felicitous  as  to  the  order 
in  which  they  are  introduced. 

He  perceived  himfelf  evidently  in  a  very 
declining  date  from  his  firft  arrival  in  Brit- 
ain, and  feemed  to  entertain  a  fixed  appre- 
henfion,  that  he  fhould  continue  but  a  little 
while  longer  in  life.  u  He  expefled  death," 
fays  my  good  correfpondent,  "  and  was  de- 
lighted with  the  profpett,0  which  did  not 
grow  lefs  amiable  by  a  nearer  approach.  The 
word  of  God%  with  which  he  had  as  intimate 
an  acquaintance  as  mod  men  I  ever  knew,' 
and  on  which  (especially  on  the  New  Tef- 
tament)  I  have  heard  him  make  many  very 
judicious  and  accurate  remarks,  was  ftill  his 
daily  ftudy  ;  and  it  furnifhed  him  with  mat- 
ter of  frequent  converfation,  much  to  the 
edification  and  comfort  of  thofe  that  were 
about  him.  It  was  recollected,  that  among 
other  paffages  he  had  lately  fpoken  of  the 
following,  as  having  made  a  deep  imprefiion 
on  his  mind  :  My  fail,  wait  thou  only  upon 
God  !  He  would  repeat  it  again  arid  again, 
Only,  Only,  Only  !  So  plainly  did  he  fee, 
and  fo  deeply  did  he  feel,  the  vanity  of  crea- 
ture confidences  and  expectations.  With 
the    ftrongefl   atteftation    would   he    often 

mention 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER,      187 

mention  thofe  woHs  in  Ifaiah,  as  verified  by 
long  experience  ;  1  nou  wilt  keep  him  in  per- 
fect peace,  whofe  mind  isjlayed  on  thee;  be- 
caufe  he  trufteth  in  thee.  And  with  peculiar 
fatisfadtion  would  he  utter  thofe  heroic 
words  in  Habakkuk,  which  he  found  armour 
of  proof  againft  every  fear  and  every  con- 
tingency :  Though  the  Jig  treejhall  not  blof- 
fom,  neither  Jhall  fruit  be  in  the  vines  ;  the 
labour  of  the  olive  fhall  fail,  and  the  fields 
jhall  yield  no  meat ;  the  flocks  fhall  be  cut  off 
from  the  fold,  and  there  jhall  be  no  herd  m 
the  flails  :  Yet  I  will  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  I 
will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  falvation.  The 
cxlvth  Pfalm  was  alfo  fpoken  of  by  him  with 
great  delight,  and  Dr.  Watts's  verfion  of  it ; 
as  well  as  feveral  other  of  that  excellent  per- 
fon's  poetical  compofures.  My  friend  who 
tranfmits  to  me  this  account,  adds  the  fol- 
lowing words,  which  I  defire  to  infert  with 
the  deepeft  fentiments  of  unfeigned  humil- 
ity and  felf  abafement  before  God,  as  moll 
unworthy  the  honour  of  contributing  in  the 
Jeaft  degree  to  the  joys  and  graces  of  one 
fo  much  my  fuperior  in  every  part  of  the 
Chriftian  chara&er.  "  As  the  joy  with 
u  which  good  men  fee  the  happy  fruits  of 
"  their  labours,  makes  a  part  of  the  prefent 
c<  reward  of  the  fervants  of  God  and  the 
11  friends  of  Jefus,  it  mud  not  be  omitted, 

"  even 


*88      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

*  even  in  a  letter  to  you,  that  your  fpiritual 
u  hymns  were  among  his  moft  delightful 
"  and  foul  improving  repafts  ;  particularly 
u  thofe,  on  beholding  tranfgrejforswith  griefs 
"  and  Chrift's  me/age."  What  is  added 
concerning  my  book  of  the  Rife  and  Prog- 
refs  of  Religion,  and  the  terms  in  which  hs 
expreffed  his  efleem  of  it,  I  cannot  fuffer  to 
pals  my  pen  ;  only  defire  moft  fincerely  to 
blefs  God,  that  efpecially  by  the  laft  chapters 
of  that  treatife,  I  had  an  opportunitv  at  fo 
great  a  diflance  of  exhibiting  fome  offices  of 
Chriftian  friendlhip  to  this  excellent  perfon^ 
in  the  clofing  fcenes  of  life  ;  which  it  would 
have  been  my  greateft  joy  to  have  perform- 
ed in  perfon,  had  providence  permitted  me 
then  to  have  been  near  hirm 

The  former  of  thofe  hymns  my  corref- 
pondent  mentions,  as  having  been  fo  agree- 
able to  Colonel  Gardiner,  I  have  given  the 
reader  above,  (fee  page  136)  thje  latter,  which 
is  called  ChrifVs  meffage,  took  its  rife  from 
Luke  iv.  18,  &feq*  and  is  as  follows  ; 

1 
HARK  f  the  glad  fotrnd  !  the  Saviourcomes> 
The  Saviour  promis'd  long  ! 
Let  ev'ry  heart  prepare  a  throne, 
And  cv'ry  voice  a  fong. 

On 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      189 
11 

On  him  the  fpirit  largely  pour'd 

Exerts  its  facred  fire  : 
Wifdom,  and  might,  and  zeal,  and  love, 

His  holy  breaft  infpire. 

Ill 

He  comes,  the  prifoners  to  releafe 

In  Satan's  bondage  held  : 
The  gates  of  brafs  before  him  burft, 

The  iron  fetters  yield. 

IV 
He  comes,  from  rhickefl  films  of  vice 

To  clear  the  mental  ray, 
And  on  the  eyeballs  of  the  blind 

To  pour  celeflial  day.# 

V 
He  comes,  the  broken  heart  to  bind,. 
.    The  bleeding  foul  to  cure  ; 
And  with  the  treafures  of  his  grace 
T'  inrich  the  humble  poor. 

VI 
His  filver  trumpets  publifli  loud 

The  jub'lee  of  the  Lord  ; 
Our  debtrare  all  remitted  now, 

Our  heritage  reftor'd. 

VII 
Our  glad  hofannahs,  Prince  of  Peace, 

Thy  welcome  (hall  proclaim; 
And  heav'n's  eternal  arches  ring 

With  thy  beloved  name. 


•  Thti  ftanza  ii  moftly  borrowed  from  Mr.  Pope, 


igo     LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

There  is  one  hymn  more  I  fhall  beg  leave 
to  add,  plain  as  it  is,  which  Colonel  Gard- 
iner has  been  heard  to  mention  with  partic- 
ular regard,  as  expreffing  the  inmoft  fenti- 
ments  of  his  foul  ;  and  they  were  undoubt- 
edly fo,  in  the  lafl  rational  moments  of  his 
expiring  life.  It  is  called,  Chriji  precious  to 
the  believer  ;  and  was  compofed  to  be  fung 
after  a  fermon  on  u  Pet.  ii.  7. 

1 
JESUS  t   I  love  thy  charming  name,.. 

'Tis  mufic  to  my  ear  : 
Fain  would  I  found  it  out  fo  loud, 

That  earth  and  heav'n  (hould  hear. 

II 
Yes,  thou  art  precious  to  my  foul, 

My  tranfport  and  my  truft  : 
Jewels  to  thee  are  gaudy  toys, 

And  gold  is  foididduft. 

lit 
All  my  capacious 'pow'rs  can  wite, 

In  thee  mod  richly  meet : 
Nor  to  my  eyes  is  life  fo  dear, 

Nor  friendfhip  half  fo  fweeU 

IV 
Thy  grace  dill  dwells  upon  my  heart, 

And  (h.eds  its  fragrance  there  ; 
The  nobleft  balm  of  all  its* wounds, 
The  cordial  of  its  care. 

I'll 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINEPv.      191 
v 

I'll  fpeak  the  honours  of  thy  name 

With  my  laft  Iab'ring  breath  ; 
Then  fpeechlef*    iaip  thee  in  my  arms, 

The  antidote  of  death. 

Thofe  who  were  intimate  with  Colonel 
Gardiner,  nm ft  have  obferved  how  ready  he 
was  to  give  a  devotional  turn  to  any  fubjett 
that  occurred.  And  in  particular  the  fpir- 
itual  and  heavenly  difpofition  of  his  foul 
difcovered  itfelf  in  the  reflexions  and  im- 
provements which  he  made,  when  reading 
iiftory  ;  in  which  he  took  a  good  deal  of 
-pleafure,  as  perfons  remarkable  for  their 
•knowledge  of -mankind,  and  obfervation  of 
providence  generally  do.  I  have  an  in- 
fiance  of  this  before  me,  which  though  too 
-natural  to  be  sit  all  furprifing,  will!  dare 
fay  be  pleafing  to  the  devout  mind.  He 
had  juft  been  reading  in  Rollings  extract 
from  Xenophon,  the  anfwer  which  the  lady 
of  Tigranes  made,  when  all  the  company 
were  extolling  Cyrus,  and  expreffing  the 
-admiration  with  which  his  appearance  and 
behaviour  ftruck  them  :  The  queflion  being 
alked  her,  what  (he- thought  of  him?  fhe 
anfwered,  I  don't  know,  I  did  not  obferve 
him.  On  what  then,  faid  one  of  the  com- 
pany, did  you  fix  your  attention  ?  On  him, 
leplied  fhe,  (referring  to  the  generous  fpeech 

which 


192      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

which  her  hufband  had  juft  made)  who  /aid 
he  would  give  a  thoufand  lives  to  ranfom  my 
liberty.  "  Oh,"  cried  the  Colonel  when 
reading  it,  "  how  ought  we  to  fix  our  eyes 
u  and  hearts  on  him,  who  not  in  offer  but  in 
<c  reality,  gave  his  own  precious  life  to  ran- 
<c  fom  us  from  the  mod  dreadful  flavery, 
cc  and  from  eternal  definition  !"  But  this  is 
only  one  inftance  among  a  thoufand.  His 
heart  was  fo  habitually  fet  upon  divine 
things,  and  he  had  fuch  a  permanent  and 
overflowing  fenfe  of  the  love  of  Chrift,  that 
he  could  not  forbear  conne&ing  fuch  reflec- 
tions, with  a  multitude  of  more  diflant  oc- 
cafions  occurring  in  daily  life,  where  lefs 
advanced  Chriflians  would  not  have  thought 
of  them  :  And  thus,  like  our  great  mafter, 
he  made  every  little  incident  a  fource  of  de- 
votion, and  an  inftrument  of  holy  zeal. 

Enfeebled  as  his  coriftitution  was,  he  was 
ftill  intent  on  improving  his  time  to  fome 
valuable  purpofes  :  And  when  his  friends 
expoftulated  with  him,  that  he  gave  his  body 
fo  little  reft,  he  ufed  to  anfwer,  <c  It  will  reft 
"  long  enough  in  the  grave." 

The  July  before  his  death,  he  was  per- 
fuaded  to  take  a  journev  to  Scarborough  for 
the  recovery  of  his  health  ;  from  which  he 
was  at  leaft  encouraged  to  expeft  fome  little 
revival*     After  this  he  had  thoughts  of  going 

to 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      193 

to  London,  and  defigned  to  have  fpent  part 
of  September  at  Northampton.  The  ex- 
pectation of  this  was  mutually  agreeable  ; 
but  providence  faw  fit  to  difeoncert  the 
fcheme.  His  love  for  his  friends  in  thefe 
parts  occafioned  him  to  exprefs  fome  regret 
on  his  being  commanded  back  :  And  I  am 
pretty  confident,  from  the  manner  in  which 
he  expreffed  himfelf  in  one  of  his  laft  letters 
to  me,  that  he  had  fome  more  important 
reafons  for  wiftiing  an  opportunity  of  mak- 
ing a  London  journey  juft  at  that  crifis  ; 
which,  the  reader  will  remember,  was  before 
the  rebellion  broke  out.  But  as  providence 
determined  it  otherwife,  he  acquiefced  ;  and 
I  am  well  fatisfied,  that  could  he  have  dif- 
tinfiily  forefeen  the  approaching  event,  fo 
far  as  it  concerned  his  own  perfon,  he  would 
have  efteemed  it  the  happieft  fummons  he 
ever  received.  While  he  was  at  Scarbor- 
ough, I  find  by  a  letter  dated  from  thence, 
July  26,  1745,  that  he  had  been  informed  of 
the  gaity  which  fo  unfeafonably  prevailed  at 
Edinburgh,  where  great  multitudes  were 
then  fpending  their  time  in  balls,  aflemblies, 
and  other  gay  amufements,  little  mindful  of 
the  rod  of  God  which  was  then  hanging 
over  them  ;  on  which  occafion  he  hath  this 
expreffion  :  "I  am  greatly  furprifed  .  that 
?  the  people  of  Edinburgh  fhould  be  em- 
ft  ployed 


ig4      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

u  ployed  in  fuch  foolifh  diverfions,  when 
"  our  fituation  is  at  prefent  more  melan- 
cc  choly  than  ever  I  faw  it  in  my  life.  But 
u  there  is  one  thing  which  I  am  very  fure 
Cf  of,  that  comforts  me,  viz.  that  it  fhall  go 
*€  well  with  the  righteous,  come  what  will/' 

Quickly  after  his  return  home,  the  flame 
burft  out,  and  his  regiment  was  ordered  to 
Stirling,  It  was  in  the  caftle  there  that  his 
lady  and  eldeft  daughter  enjoyed  the  laft 
happy  hours  of  his  company  ;  and  I  think 
it  was  about  eight  or  ten  days  before  his 
death,  that  he  parted  from  them.  A  re- 
markable circumftance  attended  that  part- 
ing, which  hath  been  touched  upon  by  fur- 
viving  friends  in  more  than  one  of  their  let- 
ters to  me.  His  lady  was  fo  affe£ted  when 
ihe  took  her  laft  leave  of  him,  that  fhe  could 
not  forbear  burfting  out  into  a  flood  of  tears, 
writh  other  marks  of  unufual  emotion.  And 
when  he  afked  her  the  reafon,  fhe  urg^d  the 
apprehenfion  (he  had  of  lofing  fuch  an  in- 
valuable friend,  amidft  the  dangers  to  which 
he  was  then  called  out,  as  a  very  fuflficient 
apology.  Upon  which  (he  took  particular 
notice,  that  whereas  he  had  generally  com- 
forted her  on  fuch  occafions,  by  pleading 
with  her  that  remarkable  hand  of  provi- 
dence, which  had  fo  frequently,  in  former 
in  (lances,  been  exerted  for  his  prefervation, 

and 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      195 

and  that  in  the  greateft  extremity,  he  faid 
nothingof  it  now  ;  but  only  replied,  in  his 
fententious  manner,  M  We  have  an  eternity 
"  to  fpend  together." 

That  heroic  contempt  of  death,  which  had 
often  difcovered  itfelf  in  the  midft  of  former 
dangers,  was  manifefled  now  in  his  difcourfe 
with  feveral  of  his  mod  intimate  friends.  I 
have  referved  for  this  place  one  genuine  ex- 
preffion  of  it  many  years  before,  which  I 
tho't  mi^ht  be  mentioned  with  fome  advan-* 
tage  here.  In  July,  1725,  he  had  been  fent 
to  fome  place,  not  far  from  Hamilton,  to 
quell  a  mutiny  among  fome  of  our  troops. 
I  know  not  the  particular  occafion  ;  but  I 
remember  to  have  heard  him  mention  it  as 
fo  fierce  a  one,  that  he  fcarce  ever  appre- 
hended himfelf  in  a  more  hazardous  circum- 
fiance.  Yet  he  quelled  it  by  his  prefence 
alone,  and  the  expoftulations  he  ufed ;  e- 
vidently  putting  his  life  into  his  hand  to  do- 
it. The  particulars  of  the  (lory  flruck  me 
much;  but  I  do  not  fo  exadlly  remember 
them,  as  to  venture  to  relate  them  here.  I 
only  obferve,  that  in  a  letter  dated  July  16, 
that  year,  which  I  havsnow  before  me,  and 
which  evidently  refers  to  this  event,  he 
writes  thus  :  <c  I  have  been  very  bufy,  bur- 
"  ried  about  from  place  to  place  ;  but  bleff- 
cf"ed'be  God,  all  is  over  without  bloodEbed,. 

"And 


ig6      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

"  And  pray  let  me  afk,  what  made  you  fhew 
"  fo  much  concern  for  me  in  your  laft  ? 
u  Were  you  afraid  I  fhould  get  to  heaven 
€€  before  you  ?  Or  can  any  evil  befall  thofe 
<c  who  are  followers  of  that  which  is  good  ?"* 
And  as  thefe  were  his  fentiments  in  the 
vigour  of  his  days,  fo  neither  did  declining 
years,  and  the  infirmities  of  a  broken  con- 
ftitution  on  the  one  hand,  nor  any  defires 
of  enjoying  the  honours  and  profits  of  fo 
high  a  ftation,  or  what  was  much  more  to 
him,  the  converfe  of  the  moft  affe&ionate  of 
wives,  and  fo  many  amiable  children  and 
friends  on  the  other,  enervate  his  fpirifcs  in 
the  lead  :  But  as  he  had  in  former  years  of- 
ten expreffed  it,  to  me  and  feveral  others  as 
his  defire,  "  that  if  it  were  the  will  of  God, 
€<  he   might  have  fome  honourable  call  to 

u  facrifice 

*  I  doubt  not  but  this  will  remind  fome  of  my  readers 
of  that  noble  fpeech  of  Zuinglius,  when,  according  to  the 
ufage  of  that  country,  attending  his  flock  to  a  battle,  in 
which  their  religion  and  liberties  were  all  at  ftake,  on  his 
?eceiving  a  mortal  wound  by  a  bullet,  of  which  he  foon 
expired,  while  his  friends  were  in  all  the  firft  aftonifhment 
of  grief,  he  bravely  faid  as  he  was  dying,  "  Ecquid  hoc  in- 
fortunii  P  Is  this  to  be  reckoned  a  misfortune  }"  How 
many  of  our  deifts  would^iave  celebrated  fuch  a  fen- 
tence  if  it  had  come  from  the  lips  of  an  ancient  Roman  ? 
Strange,  that  the  name  of  Chnft  fhould  be  fo  odious,  that 
the  brightell  virtues  of  his  followers  fnould  be  defpifed  for 
his  fake  !  But  (o  it  is  ;  and  fo  our  mailer  told  us  it  would 
be.:  And  our  faith  is  in  this  connection  confirmed  by 
thofe  that  drive  moft  to  overthrow  it. 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      197 

fC  facrifice  his  life  in  defence  of  religion  and 
w  the  liberties  of  his  country  ;"  fo  that  when 
it  appeared  to  him  mod  probable  that  he 
might  be  called  to  it  immediately,  he  met  the 
fummons  with  the  greateft  readinefs,  This 
appears  in  part  from  a  letter  which  he  wrote 
to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Adams,  of  Falkirk^  juft  as 
he  was  on  marching  from  Stirling*,  which 
was  only  eight  days  before  his  death  :  "  The 
"  rebels,"  lays  he,  "  are  advancing  to  crofs 
"  the  Firth  ;  but  I  truft  in  the  Almighty 
H  God,  who  doth  whatfcever  he  pleafes,  in  the 
cc  armies  of  heaven>  and  among  the  inhabitants 
M  of  the  earth."  And  the  fame  gentleman 
tells  me,  that  a  few  days  after  the  date  of 
this,  he  marched  through  Falkirk  with  his 
regiment  •  and  though  he  was  then  in  fo 
languifhing  a  ftate,  that  he  needed  his  affift- 
ance  as  a  fecretary,  to  write  for  fome  rein- 
forcemeat,  which  might  put  it  in  his  power 
to  make  a  Hand,  as  he  was  very  defirous  to 
have  done,  he  expreffed  a  mod  genuine  and 
noble  contempt  of  life,  when  to  be  expofed 
in  the  defence  of  a  worthy  caufe. 

Thefe  fentiments  wrought  in  him  to  the 
iaft,  in  the  "mo ft  effeftual  manner  ;  and  he 
feemed  for  a  while  to  have  infufed  them  into 
the  regiment  which  he  commanded  :  For 
they  expreffed  fuch  a  fpirit  in  their  march 
from  Stirling,  that  I  am  affured  fclie  Colonel 
R  2  was 


198      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

1 

was  obliged  to  exert  all  his  authority  to  pre- 
vent their  making  incurfions  on  the  rebel 
army,  which  then  lay  very  near  them  ;  and 
had  it  been  thought  proper  to  fend  him  the 
reinforcement  he  requeued,  none  can  fay 
what  the  confequence  might  have  been. 
But  he  was  ordered  to  march  as  faft  as  pof- 
fible,  to  meet  Sir  John  Cope's  forces  at 
Dunbar;  which  he  did  :  And  that  hafty 
retreat,  in  concurrence  with  the  news  which 
they  foon  after  received  of  the  furrender  of 
Edinburgh  to  the  rebels,  (either  by  the 
treachery  or  weaknefs  of  a  few,  in  oppofition 
to  the  judgment  of  by  far  the  greater  and 
better  part  of  the  inhabitants)  ftruck  a  panic 
into  both  the  regiments  of  dragoons,  which 
became  vifible  in  fome  very  apparent  and 
remarkable  circumftances  in  their  behav- 
iour, which  I  forbear  to  relate.  This  af- 
fefted  Colonel  Gardiner  fo  much,  that  on 
the  Thurfday  before  the  fatal  aclion  at  Pref- 
ton  Pans,  he  intimated  to  an  officer  of  con- 
fiderable  rank  and  npte,  (from  whom  I  had 
it  by  a  very  fure  channel  of  conveyance)  that 
he  expe&ed  the  event  would  be,  as  in  faft 
it  was.  In  this  view,* there  is  all  imaginable 
reafon  to  believe  he  had  formed  his  refolu- 
tion  as  to  his  own  perfonal  conduct,  which 
was,  <c  that  he  would  not,  in  cafe  of  the 
€<  flight  of  'thofe  under  his  command,  retreat 

u  with 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      199 

"with  them  ;"  by  which,  as  it  Teemed,  he 
was  re  \fonabiy  apprenenuve  he  might  have 
ftained  the  honour  of  his  former  Cervices,, 
and  have  given  fome  occafion  for  the  enemy 
to  have  fpoken  reproachfully.  He  much 
rather  chofe,  if  providence  gave  him  the 
call,  to  leave  in  his  death  an  example  of  fi-r 
delity  and  bravery,  which  might  very  prob- 
ably be  (as  in  fa£i  it  feems  indeed  to  havie 
been)  of  much  greater  importance  to  his 
country,  than  any  other  fervice,  which  in 
the  few  days  of  remaining  life  he  could  ex- 
pedi  to  render  it.  I  conclude  thefe  to  have 
been  his  views,  not  only  from  what  I  knew 
of  his  general  chara6ler  and  temper,  but 
likewife  from  fome  intimations  which  he 
gave  to  a  very  worthy  perfon  from  Edin- 
burgh, who  vifited  him  the  day  before  the 
aftion  ;  to  whom  he  faid,  H  I  cannot  influ- 
c<  ence  the  conduct  of  others,  as  I  could  wrifh, 
<c  but  I  have  one  life  to  facnfice  to  my  coun- 
<c  try's  fafety,  and  I  (hall  not  fpare  it ;"  or 
words  to  that  effeft. 

I  have  heard  fuch  a  multitude  of  incon- 
liftent  reports  of  the  circumftances  of  Colo- 
nel Gardiner's  death,  that  I  had  almoft  def- 
paired  of  being  able  to  give  my  reader  any 
particular  fatisfaftion  concerning  fo  inter- 
efting  a  fcene.  But  by  a  happy  accident  I 
have  very  lately  had  an  opportunity  of  be- 


20O     LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

ing  exaftly  informed  of  the  whole,  by  that 
brave  man  Mr.  John  Fofter,  his  faithful 
fervant,  (and  worthy  of  the  honour  offend- 
ing fuch  a  mailer,)  whom  I  had  feen  vvith 
him  at  my  houfe  fome  years  befoie.  He 
attended  him  in  his  !aft  hours,  and  gavr  me 
the  narration  at  large  ;  which  he  would  be 
ready,  if  it  were  requifite,  to  atteft  upon 
oath.  From  his  mouth  I  wrote  it  down 
with  the  utmoft  exa^tnefs,  and  could  eafily 
believe  from  the  genuine  and  afFe&ionate 
manner  in  which  he  related  the  particulars, 
that  according  to  his  own  ftriking  expref- 
fion,  <c  his  eye  and  his  heart  v^trc  always 
€<  upon  his  honoured  mafter  during,  the 
whole  time/'* 

On  Friday,  September  zo,  (the  day  be- 
fore the  battle  which  tranfmitted  him  to 
his  immortal  crown,)  when  the  whole  army 
was  drawn  uv%  I  think  about  noon,  the  Col- 
onel rode  through  all  the  ranks  of  his  own 
regiment,  addreffing  them  at  once  in  the 
moll  refpeclful  and  animatir>g  manner,  both 

as 

*  Juft  as  I  am  putting  the  laft  hand  to  thefe  memoir?, 
March  2,  1746-7,  I  have  met  with  a  corporal  in  Colonel 
Lafcelles's  regiment,  who  was  alfo  an  eye  witnefs  to  what 
happened  at  Prefton  Pans  on  the  day  of  the  battle,  and  the 
day  before  :  And  the  account  he  has  given  me  of  fome 
memorable  particulars,  is  fo  exactly  agreeable  to  that 
which  I  received  from  Mr.  Potter,  that  it  would  much 
corroborate  his  teuimeny,  if  there  were  net  io  many  other 
confidcrations  to  reader  it  convincing. 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      201 

as  foldiers,  and  as  Chriflians,  to  engage  them 
to  exert  themfelves  courageoufly  in  the 
fervice  of  their  country,  and  to  negle6t 
nothing  that  might  have  a  tendency  to  pre- 
pare them  for  whatever  event  might  hap- 
pen. They  feemed  much  affefted  with 
the  addrefs,  and  expreffeda  very  ardent  de- 
fire  of  attacking  the  enemy  immediately  : 
A  defire  in  which  he  and  another  very  gal- 
lent  officer  of  diflinguifted  rank,  dignity, 
and  charafter,  both  for  bravery  and  con- 
du£t,  would  gladly  have  gratified  them  if  it 
had  been  in  the  power  of  either,  He  ear- 
neflly  preffed  it  on  the  commanding  officer, 
both  as  the  foldiers  were  then  in  better  fpi- 
rits  than  it  could  be  fuppofed  they  would 
be  after  having  palled  the  night  under  arms  ; 
and  alfo  as  the  circumftance  of  making  an 
attack  would  be  fome  encouragement  to 
them,  and  probably  fome  terror  to  the  e- 
nemy,  who  would  have  had  the  difad- 
vantage  of  (landing  on  their  defence  :  A 
disadvantage,  with  which  thofe  wild  bar- 
barians (for  fuch  moil  of  them  were)  per- 
haps would  have  been  more  flruck  than  bet- 
ter difciplined  troops  ;  efpeciallv,  when  they 
fought  againft  the  laws  of  their  country 
too.  He  alfo  apprehended,  that  by  march- 
ing to  meet  them,  fome  advantage  might 
have  been  fecured  with  regard  to  the  ground  ; 

with 


202      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

with  which,  it  is  natural  to  imagine,  he 
mud  have  been  perfectly  acquainted,  as  it 
lay  juft  at  his  own  door,  and  he  had  rode 
over  it  fo  many  hundred  times;  When 
I  mention  thefe  things,  I  do  not  pretend  to 
be  capable  of  judging  how  far  this  advice 
was  on  the  whole  right.  A  variety  of  cir- 
cumftances,  to  me  unknown,  might  make 
it  otherwife.  It  is  certain  however,  that  it 
was  brave.  But  it  was  overruled  in  this 
refpeft,  as  it  alfo  was  in  the  difpofition  of 
the  cannon,  which  he  would  have  had  plant- 
ed in  the  centre  of  our  fmall  army,  rather 
than  juft  before  his  regiment,  which  was  in 
the  right  wing  ;  where  he  was  apprehenfive 
the  horfes,  which  had  not  been  in  any  en- 
gagement before,  might  be  thrown  into  fome 
diforder  by  the  difcharge  fa  very  near  them. 
He  urged  this  the  more,  as  he  thought  the 
attack  of  the  rebels  might  probably  be  made 
on  the  centre  of  the  foot ;  where  he  knew 
there  were  fome  brave  men,  on  whofe  (land- 
ing he  thought  under  God  the  fuccefs  of  the 
day  depended.  When  he  found  that  he 
could  not  carry  either  of  thefe  points,  nor 
fome  others,  which  out  of # regard  to  the 
common  Tafety  he  infifted  upon  with  fome 
unufual  enrneftnefs,  he  dropped  fome  inti- 
mations of  the  confluences  which  he  ap- 
prehended, and  which  did  in  fa Gt  follow  ; 

and 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      203 

and  fubmitting  to. providence,  fpent  the  re- 
mainder of  the  day  in  making  as  good  a  dif- 
pofition,  as  ■  circum fiances  would  allow.* 

He  continued  all  night  under  arms,  wrap- 
ped up  in  his  cloak,  and  generally  ftieltered 
under  a  rick  of  barley  which  happened  to 
be  in  the  field.  About  three  in  the  morn- 
ing, he  called  his  domeftic  fervants  to  him, 
of  which  there  were  four  in  waiting.  He 
difmiffed  three  of  them,  with  mod  affection- 
ate chriftian  advice,  andfuch  folemn  charges 
relating  to  the  performance  of  their  duty 
and  the  care  of  their  fouls,  a&feemed  plain- 
ly to  intimate,  that  he  apprehended  it  at 
leafi:  v^ry  probable,  he  was  taking  his  laft 
jfarewel  of  them.  There  is  great  reafon  to 
believe,  that  he  fpent  the  little  remainder  of 
the  time,  which  could  not  be  much  above 
an  hour,  in  thofe  devout  exercifes  of  foul, 

which 

*  Several  of  thefe  circumstances  have  fince  been  con- 
firmed by  the  concurrent  testimony  of  another  very  credi- 
ble perfon,  Mr.  Robert  Douglafs,  (now  a  furgeon  in  the 
navy)  who  was  a  volunteer  at  Edinburgh  juft  before  the 

.rebeis  entered  1  he  place  ;  whofaw  Colonel  Gardiner  corne 
from  Haddington  to  the  field  of  battle  the  day  before  the 
action  in  a  chaife,  being  (as  from  that  circumftance  he 
fuppofed)  in  fo  weak  a  ftate  that  he  could  not  well  endure 
the  fatigue  of  riding  on  horfeback.  .  He  obferved  Colonel 
Gardiner  in  difcourfe  with  feveral  officers,  the  evening 
before  the  engagement  ;    at  which  time  it  was  afterwards 

.reported,,  he  gave  his  advice  to  attack  the  rebels  ;  and 
when  it  was  overruled,  he  afterwards  faw  the  Colons! 
dk  by  himfelf  in  a  very  penfive  manner* 


204      LIFE  of  Ccxl.  GARDINER. 

which  had  fo  long  been  habitual  to  him,  and 
to  which  fo  many  circumftances  did  then 
concur  to  call  him.  The  army  was  alarmed 
by  break  of  day,  by  the  noife  of  the  rebels 
approach,  and  the  attack  was  made  before 
fun  rife  ;  yet  when  it  was  light  enough  to 
difcern  what  paffed.  As  foon  as  the  enemy 
came  within  gun  (hot  they  made  a  furious 
fire  ;  and  it  is  faid  that  the  dragoons  which 
conftituted  the  left  wing,  immediately  fled. 
The  Colonel,  at  the  beginning  of  the  onfet, 
which  in  the  whole  lafted  but  a  few  minutes, 
received  a  wound  by  a  bullet  in  his  left 
breaft,  which  made  him  give  a  fudden  fpring 
in  his  faddle  ;  upon  which  his  fervant,  who 
had  led  the  horfe,  would  have  perfuaded 
him  to  retreat  :  But  he  faid  it  was  only  a 
wound  in  the  flefh  ;  and  fought  on,  though 
he  prefently  after  received  a  (hot  in  his  right 
thigh.  In  the  mean  time  it  was  difcerned, 
that  fome  of  the  enemies  fell  by  him  ;  and 
particularly  one  man,  who  had  made  him  a 
treacherous  vifit  but  a  few  days  before,  with 
great  profeffions  of  zeal  for  the  prefent  eC- 
tablifliment. 

Events  of  this  kind  pafs  in  lefs  time  than 
the  defcription  of  them  can  be  written,  or 
than  it  can  be  read.  The  Colonel  was  for 
a  few  moments  fupported  by  his  men,  and 
particularly  by  that  worthy  perfon  Lieuten- 
ant 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      205 

ant  Colonel  Whitney,  who  was  fhot  through 
the  arm  here,  and  a  few  months  after  fell 
nobly  in  the  battle  of  Falkirk ;  and  by  Lieu- 
tenant Weft,  a  man  of  diftinguifhe.d  brav,. 
ery  ;  as  alfo  by  about  fifteen  dragoons,  who 
flood  by  him  to  the  laft.  But  after  a  faint 
fire,  the  regiment  in  general  was  feized  with 
.  a  panic ;  and  though  their  Colonel  and  fome 
other  gallant  officers  did  what  they  could  to 
rally  them  once  or  twice,  they  at  laft  took  a 
precipitate  flight.  And  juft  in  the  moment 
when  Colonel  Gardiner  feemed  to  be  mak- 
ing a  paufe,  to  deliberate  what  duty  requir- 
ed him  to  do  in  fuch  a  circumftance,  an  ac- 
cident happened,  which  muft,  I  think,  ia 
the  judgment  of  every  worthy  and  generous 
man,  be  allowed  a  fufficient  apology  for  ex- 
pofing  his  life  to  fo  great  hazard,  when  his 
regiment  had  left  him.*     He  faw  a  party  of 

the 

*  The  Colonel,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  military 
hiftory,  might  pofllbly  remember,  that  in  the  battle  at 
Blenheim,  the  illuftrious  Prince  Eugene,  when  the  horfe 
of  the  wing  he  commanded  had  run  away  thrice,  charged 
at  the  head  of  the  foot,  and  thereby  greatly  contributed 
to  the  glorious  fuccefs  of  the  day.  At  leaf!  .fuch  an 'ex- 
ample may  conduce  to  vindicate  that  noble  ardour,  which, 
amidft  all  the  applaufes  of  his  country,  fome  have  been  fo 
cool  and  fo  critical  as  to  blame.  For  my  own  part,  I 
thank  God  that  I  am  not  called  to  apologize  for  his  fol- 
lowing his  troops  in  their  flight  ;  which  I  fear  would  have 
been  a  much  harder  tafk  ;  and  which,  dear  as  he  was  to 
me,  would  have  grieved  me  much  more  than  his  death, 
with  thefe  heroic  circumfiances  attending  it. 

s 


*o6      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

the  foot,  who  were  then  bravely  fighting 
near  him,  and  whom  he  was  ordered  to 
fupport,  had  no  officer  to  head  them  ;  upon 
which  he  faid  eagerly,  in  the  hearing  of  the 
perfon  from  whom  I  had  this  account, 
u  Thofe  brave  fellows  would  be  cut  to  pieces 
c(  for  want  of  a  commander  ;"  or  words  to 
that  effeft  :  Which  while  he  was  fpeaking, 
he  rode  up  to  them,  and  cried  out  aloud, 
u  Fire  on,  my  lads,  and  fear  nothing/'  But 
juft  as  the  words  were  out  of  his  mouth,  an 
Highlander  advanced  towards  him,  with  a 
fcythe  fattened  to  a  long  pole,  with  which 
he  gave  him  fuch  a  deep  wound  on  his  right 
arm,  that  his  fword  dropped  out  of  his  hand  ; 
and  at  the  fame  time  feveral  others  coming 
about  him,  while  he  was  thus  dreadfully 
entangled  with  that  cruel  weapon,  he  was 
dragged  off  from  his  horfe.  The  moment 
he  fell,  another  Highlander,  who,  jf  the 
King's  evidence  at  Carlifle  may  be  credited, 
(as  I  know  not  why  they  (hould  not,  though 
the  unhappy  creature  died  denying  it)  was 
one  Macnaught,  who  was  executed  about 
a  year  after,  gave  him  a  ftroke,  either  with  a 
broad  fword,  or  a  Lochabar  axe,  (for  my 
informant  could  not  exaftly  diftinguifh)  on 
the  hinder  part  of  his  head,  which  was  the 
mortal  blow.  All  that  his  faithful  attendant 
faw  farther  at  this  time  was,   that  as  his  hat 

was 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      207 

was  fallen  off,  he  took  it  in  his  left  hand, 
and  waved  it  as  a  fignal  to  him  to  retreas  * 
and  added,  what  were  the  laft  words  he  ever 
heard  him  fpeak,  "  Take  care  of  yourfelf :*f 
Upon  which  the  fervant  retired. 

It  was  reported  at  Edinburgh  on  the  day 
of  the  battle,  by  what  feemed  a  confiderable 
authority,  that  as  the  Colonel  lay  in  his 
wounds,  he  faid  to  a  chief  of  the  oppofite 
fide,  "  You  are  fighting  for  an  earthly 
Cf  crown,  I  am  going  to  receive  an  heavenly 
n  one  ;"  or  fomething  to  that  purpofe. 
When  I  preached  the  fermon,  long  fince 
printed,  on  occafion  of  his  death,.  I  had  great 
reafon  to  believe,,  that  this  report  was  true  ; 
though  before  the  publication  of  it  I  began 
to  be  in  doubt :  And  on  the  whole,  after 
the  moft  accurate  inquiry  I  could  poffibly^ 
make  at  this  diftance,  I  cannot  get  any  con- 
vincing evidence  of  it.-  Yet  I  muft  here 
obferve,  that  it  does  not  appear  impoflible^, 
that  fomething.  of  this  kind  might  indeed  be 
uttered  by  him  ;  as  his  fervant  teftifies,  that 
he  fpoke  to  him  after  receiving  that  fatal 
blow,  which  would  feem  moft  likely  to  have, 
taken  away  the  power  of  fpeech  ;  and  as  it 
is  certain  he  lived  feveral  hours  after  he  fell. 
If  therefore  any  thing  of  this  kind  did  hap~. 
pen,  it  mufl  have  been  juft  about  this  in- 
ftant.     But  as  to  the  ftory  of*his  being  taken. 

prifoner 


208      LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

prifoner  and  carried  to  the  pretended  Prince, 
(who  by  the  way  afterwards  rode  his  horfe, 
and  entered  upon  it  into  Derby)  with  feverai 
other  circumftances  which  were  grafted  up- 
on that  interview,  there  is  the  moft  un- 
doubted evidence  of  it's  falfe'hood  :  For  his 
attendant  mentioned  above  allures  me,  that: 
he  himfelf  immediately  fled  to  a  mill,  at  the 
diftance  of  about  two  miles  from  the  fpot  of 
ground  on  which  the  Colonel  fell  ;  where  he 
changed  his  drefs,  and,  difguifed  like  a  mil- 
ler's fervant,  returned  with  a  cart  as  foon  as 
poflible  ;  which  yet  was  not  till  near  two 
hours  after  the  engagement.  The  hurry  of 
the  action  was  then  pretty  well  over,  and  he 
found  his  much  honoured  mailer,  not  only 
plundered  of  his  watch  and  other  things  of 
value,  but  alfo  ftripped  of  his  upper  gar- 
ments and  boots  ;  yet  flill  breathing  :  And 
adds,  that  though  he  were  not  capable  of 
fpeecb,  yet  on  taking  him  up  he  opened  his 
eyes  ;  which  makes  it  fomething  queftiona- 
fele,  whether  he  were  altogether  infenfible. 
In  this  condition^  and  in  this  manner,  he 
conveyed  him  to  the  church  of  Tranent, 
from  whence  he  was  immediately  taken  into 
the  minifter's  houfe,  and  laid  in  bed,  where 
he  continued  breathing  and  frequently 
groaning,  till  about  eleven  in  the  forenoon  ; 
when  he  took-fiis  final  leave  of  pain  and 

forrow, 


LIFE  of  Cot.  GARDINER.      209 

forrow,  and  undoubtedly  rofe  to  thofe  dif- 
tinguifhed  glories  which  are  referved  for 
thofe  who  have  been  fo  eminently  and  re- 
markably faithful  unto  death. 

From  the  moment  in  which  he  fell,  it  was 
no  longer  a  battle,  but  a  rout  and  carnage. 
The  cruelties  which  the  rebels  (as  it  is  gen- 
erally faid,.  under  the  command  of  Lord 
Elcho)  infli&edon  fome  of  the  King's  troops 
after  they  had  aflced  quarter,  are  dreadfully 
legible  on  the  countenances  of  many  who 
farvived  it.  Tbey  entered  Colonel  Gard- 
iner's houfe,  before  he  was  carried  off  frern 
the  field  ;  and,  notwithftanding  the  ftri£i 
orders  which  the  unhappy  Duke  of  Perth 
(whofe  conduft  is  faid  to  have  been  very 
humane  in  many  inftances)  gave  to  the  con- 
trary, every  thing  of  value  was  plundered, 
to  the  very  curtains  of  the  bed  and  hangings 
of  the  rooms.  His  papers  were  all  thrown 
into  the  wildeft  diforder,  and  his  houfe  made 
an  hofpital,  for  the  reception  of  thofe  who 
were  wounded  in  the  adtion, 

Such  was  the  clofe  of  a  life,  which  had 
been  fo  zealoufly  devoted  to  God,  and  filled 
up  with  fo  many  honourable  fertices.  This 
was  the  death  of  him,  who  had  been  fo  high- 
ly favoured  by  God,  in  the  method  by  which 
he  was  brought  back  to  him  after  fo  long  and 
fo  great  an  eftrangement,  and  in  the  progrefs 
S  2  of 


2io.     LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER. 

of  fo  many  years,  during  which  (in  the  ex- 
preffive  phrafe  of  the  moft  ancient  of  writers) 

he  had  walked  with  him  ; to  fall  as  God 

threatened  the  people  of  his  wrath  that  they 
fhould  do,  with  tumult,  with  flouting,  and 
with  the  found  of  the  trumpet.  (Amos,  ii.  2.) 
Several  other  vttry  worthy,  and  fome  of  them 
very  eminent  perfons,  fhared  the  fame  fate  ; 
either  now  in  the  ba*ttle  of  Prefton  Pans,  or 
quickly  after  in  that  of  Falkirk :  Providence,, 
no  doubt,  permitting  it,  to  eftabliflh  our 
faith  in  the  rewards  of  an  invisible  world  ; 
as  well  as  to  teach  us,  to  ceafe  from  man, 
and  fix  our  dependence  on  an  almighty 
arm. 

The  remains  of  this  Chriftian  hero,  (as  I 
believe  every  reader  is  now  convinced  he 
tnay  juftly  be  called)  were  interred  the 
Tuefday  following,  September  24,  at  the 
parifh  church  at  Tranent,  where  he  had  uf- 
iially  attended  divine  fervice,  with  great  fo- 
leninity.  His  obfequies  were  honoured 
with  the  prefence  of  fome  perfons  of  diC- 
tin&ion,  who  were  not  afraid  of  paying  that 
laft  piece  of  refpeft  to  his  memory,  though 
the  country  was  then  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  But  indeed  there  was  no  great 
hazard  in  this  -  for  his  chara&er  was  fo  well 
known,  that  even  they  themfelves  fpoke 
honourably  of  hi  23,  and  feemed  to  join  with 

his 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      1 1 1 

his  friends  in  lamenting  the  fall  of  fo  brave 
and  fo  worthy  a  man. 

The  remoteft  pofterity  will  remember,  for 
whom  the  honour  of  fubduing  this  unnat- 
ural and  pernicious  rebellion  was  referved  5. 
and  it  will  endear  the  perfon  of  the  illuftri^ 
ous  Duke  of  Cumberland,  to  all  but  the 
open  or  fecret  abettors  of  it  in  the  prelent 
age,  and  confecrate  his  name  to  immortal 
honours  among  all  the  friends  of  religion 
and  liberty  who  fhall  arife  after  us.  And  I 
dare  fay  it  will  not  be  imagined  that  I  at  all 
derogate  from  his  glory,  in  fuggefting,  that 
the  memory  of  that  valinat  and  excellent 
perfon,  whofe  memoirs  I  am  now  conclud- 
ing, may  in  fome  meafure  have  contributed 
to  that  fignal  and  complete  victory,"  with 
which  God  was  pleafed  to  crown  the  arms 
of  his  Royal  Highnefs  :  For  the  force  of 
fuch  an  example  is  very  animating,  and  a 
painful  confcioufnefs  of  having  deferted 
fuch  a  commander  in  fuch  extremity,  mult 
at  leaft  awaken,  where  there  was  any  fpark 
of  generofity,  an  earneft  defire  to  avenge  his 
death  on  thofe  who  had  facrificed  his  blood, 
and  that  of  fo  many  other  excellent  perfons, 
to  the  views  of  their  ambition,  rapine,  or 
bigotry. 

rl  he  refleftions  I  have  made  in  my  funeral 
fermon  on  my  honoured  friend,  and  in  the 

dedication 


212      LIFE  or  Col.  GARDINER. 

dedication  of  it  to  his  worthy  and  moll  afL 
ftidted  lady,  fuperfede  marry  things  which 
might  otherwife  have  properly  been  added 
here.  I  conclude  therefore  with  humbly 
acknowledging  the  wifdom  and  goodnefs  of 
that  awful  providence,  which  drew  fo  thick 
a  gloom  around  him  in  the  laft  hours  of  his 
life,  that  the  luftre  of  his  virtues  might  dart 
through  it  with  a  more  vivid  and  obfervable 
ray.  It  is  abundant  matter  of  thankfulnefsy 
that  fo  fignal  a  monument  of  grace,  and  or- 
nament of  the  Chriftian  profeffion,  was  raif- 
ed  in  our  age  and  country,  and  fpared  for  fo 
many  honourable  and  ufeful  years.  Nor 
can  all  the  tendernefs  of  the  moft  affe&ion- 
ate  friendfhip,  while  its  forrows  bleed  afrefh 
in  the  view  of  fo  tragical  a  fcene,  prevent 
my  adoring  the  gracious  appointment  of  the 
great  Lord  of  all  events,  that  when  the  day 
in  which  he  muft  have  expired  without  an 
enemy,  appeared  fo  very  near,  the  laft  ebb 
of  his  generous  blood  fhould  be  poured  out, 
as  a  kind  of  facred  libation,  to  the  liberties 
of  his  country,  and  the  honour  of  his  God  ! 
that  all  the  other  virtues  of  his  chara&er, 
embalmed  as  it  were  by  that  precious  ftream, 
might  diffufe  around  a  more  extenfive  fra- 
grancy,  and  be  tranfmitted  to  the  moft  re- 
mote pofterity,  with  that  peculiar  charm 
which  they  cannot  but  derive,  from  their 

connexion 


LIFE  of  Col.  GARDINER.      213 

connexion  with  fo  gallant  a  fall  :  An  event 
(as  that  bleffed  Apoftle,  of  whofe  fpirit  he 
fo  deeply  drank,  has  expreffed  it)  according 
to  his  carnejl  expectation,  and  his  hope,  thai;  in 
hirfi  Chriji  might  be  glorified  in  all  things p 
whether  by  his-  life,  or  by  his  death. 


APPENDIX, 


APPENDIX. 


Relating  to  the  Colonel's  Per/on. 

IN  the  midfl  of  fo  many  more  important  articles,  T 
had  really  forgot  to  fay  any  thing  of  the  perfon 
of  Colonel  G/vr diner,  of  which  neverthelefs  it 
may  be  proper  here  to  add  a  word  or  two.  It  was, 
as  I  am  informed,  in  younger  life,  remarkably  grace- 
ful and  amiable  :  And  I  can  eafily  believe  it,  from 
what  I  knew  him  to  be,  when  our  acquaintance 
began  ;  though  he  was  then  turned  of  fifty,  and  had 
gone  through  fo  many  fatigues  as  well  as  dangers, 
which  could  not  but  leave  fome  traces  on  his  coun- 
tenance. He  was  tali,  (1  fuppofe  Something  more 
than  fix  £eet)  well  proportioned,  and  ilrongly  built: 
His  eyes  of  a  dark  grey,  and  not  very  large  ;  his 
forehead  pretty  high  ;  his  nofe  of  a  length  and 
height  no  way  remarkable,  but  very  well  fuited  to 
his  other  features  ;  his  cheeks  not  very  prominent, 
his  mouth  moderately  large,  and  his  chin  rather  a 
little  inclining  (when  I  knew  him)  to  be  peaked* 
He  had  a  ftrong  voice,  and  lively  accent ;  with  an 
air  very  intrepid,  yet  attempered  with  much  gentle- 
nefs  :  And  there  was  fomething  in  his  manner  of 
addrsfs  molt  perfectly  cafy  and  obliging,  which  was  - 
in  a  great  meafure  the  rcfult  of  the  great  candoar 
and  benevolence  of  his  natural  temper  ;  and  which, 
no  doubt,  was  much  improved  by  the  deep  humility 
which  divine  grace  had  wrought  into  his  heart  ;  as^ 
well  as  his  having  been  accuftomed  from  his  early 
youth,  to  the  company  of  perfons  of  diftinguifhed 
rank  and  polite  behaviour. 

VERSED 


APPENDIX.  ti$ 

VERSES 

On  the  Death  of  Colonel  Gardiner. 

Ey  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Sowden. 

Quis  defideriQ  Jtt  pttdor,  out  modus, 

Tarn  chart  caf'tth?  Hoi., 

/^OULD  piety  perpetuate  human  breath, 

^■^  Or  (hield  one  mortal  from  the  {hafts  of  death, 

Thou  ne'er,  illuftrious  man !  thou  ne*er  hadftbeen 

A  palid  corpfe  on  Prefton's  fatal  plain. 

Or  could  her  hand,  though  impotent  to  fave 

Confummate  worth,  redeem  it  from  the  grave, 

Soon  would  thy  urn  refign  its  facred  trull:, 

And  recent  life  reanimate  thy  dud. 

But  vain  the  wifh. — The  favage  hand  of  war — . 
Oh  how  (hall  words  the  mournful  tale  declare ! 
Too  foon  the  news  affii&ed  friendlhip  hears, 
Too  foon,  alas !  confirm'd  her  boding  fears. 

Struck  with  the  found,  unconfeious  of  redrels, 
She  felt  thy  wounds,  and  wept  fevere  diftrefs. 
A  while  diflblv'd  in  trucelefs  grief  fhe  lay, 
Which  left  thee  to  relentlefs  rage  a  prey. 

At  length  kind  Fame  fufpends  our  heaving  fighs, 
And  wipes  the  forrows  from  our  flowing  eyes ; 
Gives  us  to  know,  thi«e  exit  well  fupply'd 
Thofe  blooming  laurels  vi&oty  deny  'd. 
When  thy  great  foul  fupprefs'd  each  timid  moan, 
And  foar'-d  triumphant  in  a  dying  groan,        [ plaint, 
Thy  fall,  which  rais'd,  now  calms  each  wild  com- 
Thy  fall,  which  join'd  the  hero  to  the  faint* 

As 


Si6  APPEND!     X. 

As  o'er  th'  expiring  lamp  the  quiv'ring  flame 
Colie&s  its  luftre  in  a  brighter  gleam, 
Thy  virtues,' giimm'ring  on  the  verge  of  night, 
Through  the  dim  fhade  diffus'd  ceieftial  light ; 
A  radiance,  death  or  time  can  ne'er  defiroy, 
Th'  aufpicious  omen  of  eternal  joy. 

Hence  ev'ry  unavailing  grief !   No  more 
As  haplefs  thy  removal  we  deplore. 
Thy  gufhing  veins,  in  ev'ry  drop  they  bleed, 
Of  patriot  warriors  fhed  the  fruitful  feed. 
Soon  {hall  the  ripen'd  harvefl  rife  in  arms 
To  crufh  rebellion's  infolent  alarms. 
While  profp'rous  moments  footh'dthro'  life  his  way, 
Conceal'd  from  public  view  the  hero  lay: 
But  when  affli&ion  clouded  his  decline, 
It  not  eclips'd,  but  made  his. honours  fhine ; 
Gave  them  to  beam  confpicuous  from  the  gloom, 
And  plant  unfading  trophies  round  his  tomb. 

So  ftars  are  loft,  amidft  the  blaze  of  day  : 
But  when  the  fun  withdraws  his  golden  ray, 
Refulgent  thro'  th'  etherial  arch  they  roll, 
And  j*ild  the  wide  expanfe  from  pole  to  pole. 


a  SERMON, 


The  Cbrtjiian  Warrior  animated  and 
crowned : 


SERMON, 

OCCASIONED  BY  THE 

HEROICK   DEATH 

.  OF   THE 

Hon.  Col.  JAxMES  GARDINER, 

WHO  WAS  SLAIN  IN  THB 

BATTLE  at  PRESTON  PANS, 
September  21,  1745. 

Pleached  at  Northampton,  Ottober  13, 

by   P.  DODDRIDGE,  d.  d. 


-Itle  Timorum 


Maximus  haud  urget  Lethi  Metus  :— 
«  Jgnavum  Rediturae  parcerc  Vitas. 

Lvcan, 


PRINTED    at  BOSTON, 

by  I.  THOMAS  and  E.  T.  ANDREWS, 

FAVSTs  Statu?,,  No.  45,  Km  bury  Street* 
MDCCXC1I, 


TO    THE 


Right  Honourable  the 


Madam, 


VCLTIGM 


OshmcLk 


* 


azavntr* 


1HE  intimate  knowledge  I  had  of  Col. 
Gardiner's  private  as  well  as  pwblick  character, 
and  of  that  endeared  friendfhip  which  fo  long 
fubfifted  between  him  and  your  ladyfhip,  makes 
me  more  fenfible  than  mod  others  can  be,  both  of 
the  inexprefiible  lofs  you  have  fuftained,  and  of 
the  exquifite  fenfe  you  have  of  it.  I  might,  in 
fome  degree,  argue  what  you  felt,  from  the  agony 
with  which  my  own  heart  was  torn  by  that  ever 
to  be  lamented  flroke,  which  deprived  the  nation, 
and  the  churchrof  fo  great  an  ornament  andblelf- 
ing  :  And  indeed,  Madam,  I  was  fo  fenfible  o£ 
your  calamity,  as  to  be  ready  in  my  firft  thoughts 
to  congratulate  you,  when  1  heard  the  report 
which  at  firft  prevailed,  that  you  died  under  the 
fhock.  Yet  cooler  reflection  teaches  me,  on  ma- 
ny accounts,  to  rejoice  that  your  ladyfhip  has  fur- 
vived  that  deareft  part  of  yourfel£  ;  though  after 
having  been  fo  lovely  and  pleafant  in  your  lives, 
it  would  have  been  matter  of  perfonal  rejoicing, 
in  death  not  to  have  been  divided.  The  numer- 
ous and  promifing  offspring  with  which  God 
hath   blefled   your  marriage,    had   evidently  the 

highefl 


220  DEDICATION. 

highefl  intereft  in  the  continued  life  of  fo  pious 
and  affectionate  a  mother :  And  I  hope,  and  af- 
furedly  believe,  there  was  a'  more  important,  and 
to  you  a  much  dearer  intereft  concerned,  as  God 
may  be,  and  is,  fignally  honoured,  by  trie  manner 
in  which  you  bear  this  heavieft  and  raoft  terrible 
ftroke  of  his  paternal  rod, 

God  had  been  pleafed,  Madam,  to  make  you 
both  eminent  for  a  variety  of  graces  ;  and  he  has 
proportionably  diftinguifhed  you  both,  in  the  op- 
portunity he  has  given  you  of  exercifmg  thofe, 
which  furt  the  moft  painful  fcenes,  that  can  attend 
a  pious  and  an  honourable  life.  But  when  I  Gen- 
ii der  what  it  is,  to  ^have  loft  fuch  a  man,  at  fuch 
time,  and  in  fuch  ciicumftances,  Imuft  needs  de- 
clare, that  brave  and  heroick  as  the  death  of  the 
Colonel  was,  your  ladyihip's  part  is  beyond  all 
comparifon  the  hardeft.  Yet  even  here  has  the 
grace  of  Chrift  been  fufRcient  for  you;  and  1  join 
with  your  ladyfhip  in  adoring  the  power  and 
faithfulnefs  of  him,  who  has  here  fo  remarkably 
{hewn,  that  he  forgets  not  his  promife  to  all  his 
people,  of  a  ftrength  proportionable  to  their  day  ; 
that  they  may  be  enabled  to  glorify  him  in  the 
hotted  furnace,  into  which  it  is  pofllble  they 
fhould  be  call. 

To  hear,  (as  1  have  heard  from  feveral  perfons 
of  diflinguifhed  character,  who  have  lately  had 
the  happinefs  of  being  near  your  ladyfhip)  of  that 

meek 


DEDICATION.  221 

meek  refignation  to  the  divine  will,  of  that  calm 
patience,  of  that  Chrifiian  courage,  with  which, 
in  f©  weak  a  {late  of  health  and  fpirits,  you  have 
fupported  under  this  awful  providence,  has  given 
me  great  pleafure,  but  no  furprife.  So  near  a  re- 
lation to  fo  brave  a  man  might  have  taught  ibme 
degree  of  fortitude,  to  a  foul  lefs  fufceptible  of  it 
than  your  ladyihip's.  Nor  is  there  any  doubt  but 
that  the  prayers  he  has  fo  long  been  laying  up  in 
ftore  for  you,  efpecially  fince  the  decay  of  his  con- 
stitution gave  him  reafon  to  expert  a  fpeedy  re- 
move, will  afTuredly  at  fuch  a  feafon  come  into 
remembrance  before  God.  And  above  all,  the 
fublime  principles  of  the  Christian  religion,  fo 
deeply  imbibed  into  your  own  heart  as  well  as 
his,  will  not  fail  to  exert  their  energy  on  fuch  an 
occafion.  Thefe,  Madam,  will  teach  you  to  view 
the  hand  of  a  wife,  a  righteous,  and  a  gracious 
God  in  this  event  ;  and  will  {hew  you,  that  a 
friendfhip  founded  on  fuch  a  bafis,  fo  very  in- 
dearing,  and  fo  clofely  cemented,  as  that  which 
has  been  here  for  many  years  a  blefling  to  you 
b6th,  can  know  only  a  very  {ho rt  interruption1, 
and  will  foon  grow  up  into  a  union  infinitely 
nobler  and  more  delightful,  which  never  fhall  be 
liable  to  any  feparation.  . 

In  the  mean  time,  Madam,  it  may  comfort  us 

not  a  little  under  the  fenfe  of  our  prefent  lofs,  to 

think  what  religious  improvement  we  may  gain  by 

it,  if  wc  are  not  wanting  to  ourfelves :  And  happy 

T  2  ihall 


222  DEDICATION. 

fli all  we  be  indeed,  if  we  fo  hear  the  rod,  a*  to 
receive  the  inftru&ions  it  fo  natui  atty  fuggefts  and 
inforces.  Perfons  of  any  ferious  reflection  will 
learn  from  this  awful  event,  how  little  we  can 
judge  of  the  divine  favour  by  the  viiiblc  difpenfa- 
tions  of  Providence  here  :  They  will  learn,  (and 
it  may  be  of  great  importance  to  confider  it,  juft 
in  fuch  a  crifis  as  this)  that  no  diftinguifhed  de- 
gree of  piety  can  f  ecure  the  very  beft  of  men  from 
the  fivord  of  a  common  enemy  :  And  they  will 
fee  (written,  alas,  in  characters  of  the  moft  prec- 
ious blood,  that  war  ever  fpilt  in  our  ifland)-  the 
vanity  of  the  furefr  protectors  and  comforters 
which  mortality  can  afford,  at  a  time  when  they 
are  moll  needed. 

Thefe  are  general  inftru&ions,  which  I  hope 
thoufands  will  receive,  on  this  univerfally  lament- 
ed occafion :  But  to  you,  Madam,  and  to  me,  and 
to  all  that  were  honoured  with  the  moft  intimate 
friendship  of  this  Chriftian  hero,  his  death  has  a 
peculiar  voice*  Whiift  it  leads  us  back  into  fo 
many  pad  fcenes  of  delight,  in  the  remembrance 
of  which  we  now  pour  out  our  fouls  within  us,  it 
ealls  aloud,  amidil  all  this  tender  diftrefs,  for  a. 
tribute  of  humble  thankfulnefs  to  God,  that  ever 
we  enjoyed  fuch  a  friend,  and  efpecially  in  fuch 
an  intimacy  of  mutual  affection  ;  and  that  we  had 
an  opportunity  of  obferving,  in  fo  many  inftances, 
the  fecret  recedes  of  a  heart,  which  God  had  en- 
riched, adorned,    and  ennobled  with  fo  much  of 

his 


DEDICATION.  223 

his  own  image,  and  fuch  abundant  communica- 
tions of  his  grace  :  It  calls  for  our  redoubled  dil- 
igence and  refolution,  in  imitating  that  bright  af- 
femblage  of  virtues,  which  fhone  fo  refplendent 
in  our  illuftrious  friend :  And  furely  it  muft,  by 
a  kind  of  irrefiftible  influence,  mortify  our  affec- 
tions to  this  impoverifhed  world  ;  and  muft  caufe 
nature  to  concur  with  grace,  in  railing  our  hearts 
upwards  to  that  glorious  world,  where  he  dwells 
triumphant  and  immortal,  and  waits  our  arrival 
with  an  ardour  of  pure  and  elevated  love,  which 
it  was  impofiible  for  death  to  quench, 

Next  to  thefe  views,  nothing  can  give  your 
ladyfhip  greater  fatisfa£lion,  than  to  reflect,  how 
happy  you  made  the  amiable  confort  you  have 
loft,  in  that  intimate  relation  you  fo  long  bore  to 
each  other  ;  in  which,  I  well  know,  that  grow- 
ing years  ripened  and  increafed  your  mutual  ef- 
teem  and  friendihip,  Nor  will  your  generous 
heart  be  infenfible  of  that  pleafure,  which  may  a- 
rife  from  reflecting,  that  the  manner  of  his  death 
(though  in  itfelf  fo  terrible,  that  we  dare  not  truft 
imagination  with  the  particular  review)  was  to 
him,  in  thofe  circumftances,  mod  glorious,  to  re- 
ligion highly  ornamental,  and  to  his  country,  great 
as  its  lofs  is,  on  various  accounts  beneficial.  For 
very  far  be  it  from  us  to  think,  that  Colonel 
Gardiner,  though  fallen  by  the  weapons  of  rebell- 
ion and  treafon,  has  fought  and  died  in  vain.  I 
truft  in  God,  that  fo  heroick  a  behaviour  will  in- 

fpire 


2*4  DEDICATION. 

fpire  our  warriors  with  augmented  courage,  now 
they  are  called  to  exert  it  in  a  caufe,  the  moft  no-, 
ble  and  important  that  can  ever  be  in  queftion, 
the  caufe  of  our  laws,  our  liberty,  and  religion. 
I-  truft,  that  all  who  keep  up  a  correfpondence 
with  heaven  by  prayer,  will  renew  their  intercef- 
fion  for  this  bleeding  land  with  increafing  fer- 
vour, now  we  have  loft  one  who  flood  in  the 
breach  with  fuch  unwearied  importunity.  And 
1  am  well  aflured,  that  of  the  multitudes  who  lay 
up  his  memory  in  their  inmoft  hearts  with  ven- 
eration and  love,  not  a  few  will  be  often  joining 
their  moft  affectionate  prayers  to  God,  for  your 
ladyfhip,  and  the  dear  rifing  branches  of  your 
family,  with  thofe  whieh  you  may,  in  confequence 
of  a  theufand  obligations,  always  expeS  from 

MadamT 

Your  ladyfhip's  moft  faithful 

and  obedient  humble  fervant, 

P.  DODDRIDGE. 

N&tkmptonylsovt  27^  1745..  • 


E       R      M       O      N. 


REV.  II.  10.  Utter  part. 

— —  BS  THOU  rAIIiiU'L  LWTO  DEATH,  AHD  I  WILL  GIVE  THEfl 
A  CROWN  OF  LIFE. 

IT  is  a  glory  peculiar  to  the  Chriflian  re- 
ligion, that  it  is  capable  of  yielding  joy 
and  triumph  to  the  mind,  amidft  calamities, 
in  which  the  flrength  of  nature,  and  of  a 
philofophy  that  has  no  higher  a  fupport, 
can  hardly  give  it  ferenity,  or  even  patience. 
Thofe  boafted  aids  are  but  like  a  candle  in 
fome  ternpeftuous  night,  which  how  artific- 
ially foever  it  may  be  fenced  in>  is  often  ex- 
tinguifhed  amidft  the  florin,  in  which  it 
fliould  guide  and  cheer  the  traveller,  or  the 
mariner ;  whom  it  leaves  on  a  fudden,  in; 
darknefs,  horror,  and  fear  :  While  the  con- 
folation  of  the  gofpel,  like  the  fun,  makes  a 
fure  day   even   when  behind  the  thickefl 

clould 


226 

cloud,  and  foon  emerges  from  it  with  an 
acceflion  of  more  fenfible  luftre. 

The  obfervation  is  verified  in  thefe  words, 
confidered  in  connexion  with  that  awful 
providence,  which  has  this  day  determined 
my  thoughts  to  fix  upon  them,  as  the  fub- 
je£l  of  my  difcourfe  ;  the  fall  of  that  truly 
great  and  good  man,  Colonel  Gardiner  : 
The  endearing  tendernefs  of  whofe  friend- 
fhip  would  have  rendered  his  death  an  un- 
fpeakable  calamity  to  me,  had  his  chara&er 
been  only  of  the  common  flandard  ;  as  on 
the  other  hand,  the  exalted  excellency  of  his 
character  makes  his  death  to  be  lamented  by- 
thoufands,  who  were  not  happy  in  any  pe- 
culiar intimacy  or  perfonal  acquaintance 
with  him. 

While  we  mourn  the  brave  warrior,  the 
exemplary  Chriflian,  and  the  afFe&ionate 
friend  ;  loft  to  ourfelves  and  our  country, 
to  the  church  and  the  world,  at  a  time  when 
we  mofl  needed  all  the  defence  of  his  brav- 
ery, all  the  edification  of  his  example,  all 
the  comfort  of  his  converfe  :  Struck  with  the 
various  and  aggravated  forrow  of  fo  fudden, 
and  fo  terrible  a  blow,  methinks  there  is  but 
one  voice  that  can  cheer  us,  which  is  this  of 
the  great  captain  of  our  falvation,  fo  lately 
addrefling  him,  and  flill  addreffing  us,  in 
thefe  comprehenfive  and  animated  words  r 

Be 


227 

Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give 
thee  a  crown  of  life. 

With  regard  to  the  connexion  of  them,  it 
may  be  fufficient  to  obferve,  that  our  Lord, 
in  all  thefe  feven  epiftles  to  the  Afiatick 
churches,  reprefents  the  Chriflian  life  as  a 
warfare,  and  the  bleflings  of  the  future  ftate 
as  rewards  to  be  beftowed  on  conquerors. 
To  him  that  overcometh,  will  I  give  fuch 
and  fuch  royal  donatives.  Purfuing  the 
fame  allegory,  he  warns  the  church  of 
Smyrna  of  an  approaching  combat,  which 
fhould  be  attended  with  fome  fevere  cir- 
cumftances.  Some  of  them  were  to  become 
captives ;  the  Devil  (hall  cafl  fome  of  you 
into  prifon  :  And  though  the  power  of  the 
enemy  was  to  be  limited,  in  its  extent  as  well 
as  its  duration,  to  the  tribulation  of  ten  days, 
it  feems  to  be  implied,  that  while  many  were 
harraffed  and  diftreffed  during  that  time, 
fome  of  them  fhould  before  the  clofe  of  it 
be  called  to  refill  unto  blood.  But  their 
great  leader  furnifhes  them  with  fuitable 
armour,  and  proportionable  courage,  by  this 
gracious  afTurance,  which  it  is  our  prefent 
bufinefs  farther  to  contemplate  :  Be  thou 
faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a 
crown  of  life. 

In  which  words  you  naturally  obferve  a 
charge — and  a  promife  by  which  it  is  in- 
forced. 


828 

forced.  I  {hall  briefly  ifluftrate  wch,  and 
then  conclude  with  fome  reflections  upon 
the  whole. 

Firft,  I  am  to  open  the  charge  here  given : 
Be  thou  faithful  unto  death. 

Concerning  which  I  would  obferve,  that 
though  it  is  immediately  addrefled  to  the 
church  at  Smyrna,  yet  the  nature  of  the 
thing,  and  numberlefs  paflages  of  the  divine 
word  concur  to  prove,  that  it  is  common  in 
its  obligation,  to  all  Chriftians,  and  indeed 
to  all  men. 

I  (hall  not  be  large  in  explaining  the  na- 
ture of  faithfulnefs  in  general ;  concerning 
which  I  might  fhew  you,  that  the  word  here 
rendered  faithful,  has  fometimes  a  relation 
to  the  teftimony  which  God  has  given  us, 
and  fometimes  to  fome  truft  that  he  has  re- 
pofed  in  us.  In  the  former  fenfe,  it  is 
properly  rendered  believing,  and  oppofed  to 
infidelity  :  Be  not  faithlefs,  but  believing.* 
In  the  latter,  it  is  oppofed  to  injuftice  :  He 
that  is  faithful  in  that  which  is  leaft,  is  faith- 
ful alfo  in  much  ;  whereas  he  that  is  unjuft 
in  the  leaft,  is  unjuft  alfo  in  much.t  And 
it  is  in  reference  to  this  fenfe  of  it,  that  our 
Lord  rcprefetits  himfelf,  as  faying  to  the 
man  who  had  improved  his  talents  aright, 
well  done,  good  and  faithful  fervant.J   Our 

deceafed 
♦John  xx.  27.      f  Luke  xvi.  10.      J  Mat.  xxv.  23. 


229 

deceafed  friend  was  fo  remarkably  faithful 
in  both  thefe  fenfes  ;  fo  ready  to  admit,  and 
fo  zealous  to  defend  the  faith  once  deliver- 
ed to  the  faints  ;  and  fo  adiive  in  improving 
thofe  various  talents,  with  which,  in  mercy 
to  many  others  as  well  as  to  himfelf,  God 
had  intruded  him  ;  that  it  was  very  natural 
to  touch  upon  thefe  fignifications  of  the 
word,  though  it  has  here  a  more  particular 
view  to  another  virtue,  for  which  he  was  fo 
illuftrioufly  confpicuous,  I  mean,  the  cour- 
agious  fidelity  of  a  foldier  in  his  warfare. 

In  this  fenfe  of  the  word,  it  is  oppofed  to 
treachery  or  cowardice,  defertion  or  difobe- 
dience  to  military  orders.  And  thus  it  is 
ufed  elfewhere  in  this  fame  book  of  the  Rev- 
elation, when  fpeaking  of  thofi  who  war 
under  the  banner  of  the  lamb,  the  King  of 
Kings,  and  Lord  of  Lords,  the  infpired 
writer  tells  us,  they  are  called,  and  chofen, 
and  faithful,*  a  feledl  body  of  brave  and 
valiant  foldiers. 

This  hint  will  alfo  fix  the  eafiefl  and 
plaineft  fenfe,  in  which  the  perfons,  to 
whom  the  text  is  addrefled,  are  required  to 
be  faithful  unto  death  :  Which,  though  it 
does  indeed  in  general  imply,  a  patient  con- 
tinuance in  well  doing,t  in  whatever  fcenes 

of 

*  Rev.  xvii.  14,  f  Rom.  ii.  7, 

.u 


230 

of  life  divine  providence  may  place  us  ;  yet 
does  efpecially  refer  to  martial  bravery,  and 
exprefs  a  readinefs  to  face  death  in  its  mod 
terrible  forms,  when  our  great  General  fhali 
lead  us  on  to  it.  You  well  know  this  to  be 
an  ihdifpenfable  condition  of  otir  being  rac-* 
knowledged  by  him  ill  the  day  of  hifr  final 
triumph  :  And  of  this  he  warned  thofe  that 
gathered  around  him,  when  he  was  firft  raif- 
ing  his  army,  under  the  greateft  difadvan- 
tages  in  outward  appearance  ;  exprefsly  and 
plainly  telling  them,  that  they  muft  be  con- 
tent to  follow  him  to  martyrdom,  to  follow 
him  to  crucifixion,  when  they  receive  the 
word  of  command  to  do  it ;  or  that  all  their 
profefiion  of  regard  to  him  would  be  in 
vain.  If  any  man,  fays  he,  will  come  after 
me,  let  him  deny  himfelf,  and  take  up  his 
crofs,  and  follow  me  :*  For  he  that  loveth 
his  own  life  more  than  me,  is  not  worthy  of 
me  ;t  he  does  not  deferve  the  honour  of 
bearing  my  name,  and  pafling  for  one  of  my 
foldiers  ;  indeed  he  cannot  on  any  terms  be 
my  difciple.J 

This  therefore  is  in  effeft  the  language  of 
our  Lord,  when  he  fays,  be  thou  faithful 
unto  death  :  It  is  as  if  he  had  faid,  c<  Re- 
ff  member  all  you  of  Smyrna,  or  of  any  oth- 
<c  er  place  and  country,  that  call  yourfelves 

<f  Chriftians, 

*  Mark,  viii.  34..     f  Mat.  x.  37,  39.     J  Luke,  xiv.  z6. 


231 

"  Clinicians,  thpughout  ajl  generations,  that 
"  you  were  by  baptifm  inlifted  under  my 
"  banners  :  Remember,  that  you  have  as  it 
€i  were  fealed,  and  fubfcribed  your  engage- 
"  ment  to  me,  by  every  facrament  you  have 
"  fince  attended  ;"  (as  indeed  it  is  well 
known,  the  w.ovd  facrament  originally  figni- 
fies  a:  military  oath,  which  fold iers  took  as  a 
pledge. of  fidelity  to  their  General :)  "  Re- 
"  member,  therefore,  that  you  are  ever  to 
u  continue  with  me,  and  to  march  forward 
"  under  my  direction,  whatever  hardfhips 
"  and  fatigues  may  lie  in  the  way.  .And 
"  remember,  th^t  if  I  lead  you  on  to  the 
"  mod  formidable  combat,  vou  muft  cheer- 
<c  fully  obey  the  word  of  command,  and 
<f  charge  boldly,  though  you  fhould  imme- 
cc  diately  die,  whether  by  the  fword,  or  by 
iK  fire.  Should  you  dare  to  flee,  I  am  my- 
<c  feif  your  enemy  ;  and  the  weapons  which 
cc  I  bear,  would  juftly  be  levelled  at  your 
"  own  traiterous  heads.  But  if  you  bravely 
"  follow  me,  I  know  how  to  make  you  am- 
cf  pie  amends,  even  though  you  fall  in  the 
"  aftion.  When  no  human  power  and 
"  gratitude  can  reach  you,  it  is  my  glorious 
cc  prerogative  to  engage,  that  to  thofe  who 
"  are  thus  faithful  unto  death,  I  will  give  a 
cc  crown  of  life."     We  are  therefore, 

Secondly, 


232 

Secondly,  To  confider  the  promife,  by 
which  the  charge  is  enforced  :  I  will  give 
thee  a  crown  of  life. 

And  here  I  might  obferve,  a  crown  of  life 
js  the  glorious  reward  propofed,  and  it  is  to 
be  received  from  the  hand  of  Ghrift. 

1 .  A  crown  of  life  is  the  reward  propofed  : 
Which  we  are  fure  jn  this  connexion  im- 
plies, both  grandeur  and  felicity ;  here, 
though  rarely,  oonne&ed  together. 

There  is,  no  doubt,  an  allufion  in  thefe 
words,  to  the  ancient,  and  I  think  very  pru- 
dent, cuftom  of  animating  the  bravery  of 
foidiers  by  honorary  rewards,  and  particu- 
larly by  crowns  ;  fometirnes  of  laurel,  and 
fometimes,  more  rarely,  of  filver  and  gold  ; 
which  they  were  permitted  to  wear  on  pub- 
lick  occafions,  and  in  confequence  of  receiv- 
ing which  they  were  fometimes  intitled  to 
fome  peculiar  immunities.  But  here  our 
Lord  Jefus  Chrift^  confcious  of  his  own  di- 
vine power  and  prerogative,  fpeaks  with  a 
dignity  and  elevation,  which  no  earthly 
prince  or  commander  could  ever  affume  ; 
promifing  a  crown  of  life,  and  that,  as  was 
obferved  before,  even  to  thofe  who  fhould 
fall  in  the  battle  ;  A  crown  of  life  in  the 
higheft  fenfe  ;  not  only  one,  which  fhould' 
ever  be  frefh  and  fair,  but  which  fhould  give 
immortality  to  the  happy  brow  it  adorned  ; 

and 


233 

and  be  forever,  worn,  not  only  as  the  monu- 
ment of  bravery  and  vi£lory,  but  as  the  en- 
fign  of  royalty  too  :  A  crown  conne&ed 
with;  a  kingdom,  and  with  what  no  other 
kingdom  can  give,  perpetual  life  to  enjoy  it; 
perpetual  youth,  and  vigo.ur  to  relifh  all  its 
delights,  And  this  is  agreeable  to  the  lan- 
guage of  other  fcrip tares,  where  we  read  of 
the  crown  of  life,  which  the  Lord  hath 
promifed  to  them  that  love  him  ;*  a  crown 
of  righteoufnefs,  which  the  Lord  the  right- 
eous Judge  ihall  give  ;t  a  crown  of  glory, 
which  fadeth  not  away. J;  We  may  alfo 
obferve, 

2.  That  it  is  faid  to  be  given  by  ChrifL 
This  fome  pious  commentators  have  ex- 
plained, as  intimating,  that  it  is  the  gift  of 
•the  Redeemer's  free  and  unmerited  grace, 
and  not  a  retribution  due  to  the  merit  of 
him  that  receiveth  it.  And  this  is  an  unr 
doubted  truth,  which  it  is  of  the  highefi 
importance  to  acknowledge  and  confider. 
The  proper  wages  of  fin  is  death  ;  but  eter- 
nal life  is  (in  oppofition  to  wages)  the  gift 
of  God  through  Jefus  Chrift  our  Lord. § 
We  ftould  humbly  own  it  every  day,  thai: 
there  is  no  proportion  between  the  value  of 

our 

*  Jam.  i.  i2.  f  a  Tim.  iv.  8.  X  f  Pet-  v-  4« 

\  Rom.  vi.  23. 

U2 


234 

our  fervicesi  and  the  crown  which  we  expeS 

to  receive  :    Should   own   that  it  is  mercy 

that  pardons  our  fins,  and  grace  that  accepts 

our  fervices ;  much  more,  that  crowns  them. 

Grace,  grace,  fhall  (as  it  were)  be  engraven 

upon  that  crown,  in  chara&ers;  large  and 

indelible  :  Nor  will  that  infcription  diminifh 

its  luftre,  or  impair  the  pleafure  with  which 

we   fhall  receive  it.      I    could  not  forbear 

mentioning  this  thought,  as  a  truth  of  the 

utmoft  importance,   which   ftands   on   the 

firmeft  bafisof  very  many  exprefsfcriptures  ; 

a  truth,  of  whichperhaps  no  man  living  had 

ever  a  deeper  fenfe,  than  our  deceafed  friend. 

But  I  mention  it  thus  obliquely,  becaufe  it 

may  be  doubted  whether  we  can  juftly  argue 

it  from  hence  ;  fince  the  word  give  is  fome- 

times  u fed  for  rendering  a  retribution  juftly 

due,  and  that  in  inftances  where  grace  and- 

favour   have,    in  propriety  of    fpeech;  no 

concern  at  all.* 

But  it  is  certain-that  this  expreflion,  I  will 

give  thee  a  crown  of  life,  is  intended  to  lead* 

our  thoughts  to  this  important  circum  fiance  ; 

that  this  crown  ifr  to  be  received  from  the 

hand  of  Chrift  himfelf.     And  the  Apoftie 

Paul  evidently  refers  to  the  fame  eircum- 

fiance, 

*  Compare  M^t.  xx.  3*  Give  the  labourers  their  hire. 
Col.  iv.  i.  Makers,  give  unto  your  fervants  that  which 
is  j  aft  and  equaL 


2Ji 

fiance,  iri  terms  which  fhew  how  much  he 
entered  into  the  fpirit  of  the  thought,  when 
he  fays,  the  Lo  d  the  righteous  judge  (hall 
give  it  m°  :*  1 1  8  himfelf,  the  great  judge  of 
the  conteft,  whofe-  eye  witneifes  the  whole 
courfe  of  it,  whofe  decifion  cannot  err,  and 
from  whofe  fentenee  there  is  no  appeal; 
Alluding  to  the  judge  who  prefided  in  the 
Grecian  games,  who  was  always  a  perfon  of 
rank  and  eminence,  and  himfelf  reached 
forth  the  reward  to  him  who  overcame  in 
them. 

So  that  on  the  whole,  when  our  Lord  J e- 
fus  Chrifl  fays,  be  thou  faithful  unto  death,, 
and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life  ;  methtnfcs 
our  devout  meditations  may  expatiate  upon 
the  words,  in  fome  fuch  paraphrafe  as  this. 
It  is,as  if  he  had  faid,  to  you,  and  to  me,  and 
to  all  his  people,  "  Oh  my  faithful  foldiers, 
u  fear  not  death  in  its  moli  terrible  array, 
u  for  you  are  immortal.  Fear  not  them 
u  that  can  kill  the  body  :t  You  have  a  no- 
u  bier  part,  which  they  cannot  reach  ;  and  I 
"  will  undertake,  not  only  for  its  refcue,  but 
u  its  happinefs.  I  will  anfwer  for  it,  on  the 
?*  honour  of  my  royal  word,  that  it  (hall  live 
M  in  a  ftate  of  noble  enlargement,  oP  tri- 
"  umphant  joy.  Think  on  me  :  I  am  he 
u  that  liveth,  though  1   was  dead  ;  and  be. 

"hold, 

*  2  Tim.  iv.  8.  f  Mat.  x.  2S. 


236 

<c  hold,  I  am  alive  for  ever  more ;:*:  And  be- 
cc  caufe  I  live,  you  :£hall  live  alfo  ;f  ihall 
cc  exift  in  a  Rate,  that  deferves  the  great  and 
u  honourable  naLme  of  life  ;  fo  that  earth  in 
ft.  all  its  Luftre  and  pleafure, \yhm  compared 
41  with  it,  is  but  a  fcene  qi  death,  or  at  beft 
cc  as  an  amufing  dream  when  one  a  waketb.  "J 
We  may  alfp  confider  him,  as  pur.fuing 
this  animating  addrqfs,  and  faying,  "  My 
u  brave  companions  in  tribulation  and  pa- 
c<  tience,  you  (hall  not  only  live,  but  reign. 
<c  Think  not,  thou  good  foldier,  who  art  now 
f<  fighting  under  my  banner,  that  thy  Gen- 
4(  eral  will  wear  his  honours  alone.  If  I 
<c  have  my  crown,  if  I  have  my  triumph,  be 
u  aflured  that  thou  alfo  (halt  have  thine. 
"  Thou  mayeft  indeed  feem  to  periflh  in  the 
€i  combat,  and  thy  friends  may  mourn,  and 
"  thine  enemies  infult,  as  if  thou  wert  ut- 
€i  terly  cut  off.i  But  behold;  true- victory 
<c  fpreads  over  thee  her  golden  wing,  and 
€i  holds  out,  not  a  garland  of  fading  flowers 
fC  or  leaves,  but  a  crown  that  {hall  keep  its 
t(  luftre,  when  all  the  coftlieft  gems  on  earth 
if  are  melted  in  the  general  burning  ;  yea, 
"when  the  luminaries  of  heaven  are  extin- 
u  guifhed,  and  the  fun  and  flars  fade  away 
fl  in  their  orbs." 

"  Nor 

*  Rev.  i,  18.      t  Jo^n,  xiv.  19.      X  Pkl*  lxxiiie  20. 


*37 

M  Nor  will  I,"  does  he  feem  to  fay,  "  fend 
"  thee  this  crown  by  fome  inferior  hand; 
"  not  even  by  the  nobleft  angel,  that  waits 
"  on  the  throne  I  have  now  afcendedi 
"  Thou  fhalt  receive  it  from  mine  own 
"  hand  ;"  (from  that  hand,  which  would 
make  the  leaft  gift  valuable  :  What  a  digni- 
ty then  will  it  add  to  the  greateft  !)  "  Nor 
"  will  I  myfelf  confer  this  reward  in  private  ; 
"  it  fhall  be  given  with  the  moft  magnificent 
"  folemnity.  Thou  {halt  be  brought  to  me 
"  before  the  affembled  world  :  Thy  name 
cc  fhall  be  called  over  ;  thou  fhak  appear, 
&  and  I  will  own  thee,  and  crown  thee,  in 
"  publick  view.  Thy  friends  (hall  fee  it 
"  with  raptures  of  joy,  and  congratulate  an 
"  honour  in  which  they  {hail  alfo  fhare. 
cc  Thine  enemies  fhall  fee  it  with  envy  and 
cc  writh  rage,  to  increafe  their  confufion  and 
<c  mifery  :  They  fhall  fee,  that  while  by  their 
lC  malicious  affaults  ihey  were  endeavouring 
*c  to  deftroy  thee,  they  were  only  eftabliftiing 
cc  thy  throne,  and  brightening  the  luftre, 
"  which  fhall  forever  adorn  thy  brow  ;  while 
<c  theirs  is  blafted  with  the  thunder  of  refift- 
"  lefs  wrath,  and  deep  engraven  with  the 
u  indelible  marks  of  vengeance.  This  cro  wn 
"  fhalt  thou  forever  wear,  as  the  perpetual 
u  token  of  my  efteem  and  affe&ion  :  Nor 
u  fhall  it  be  merely  a  fhining  ornament  :  A 

'       "  rich 


238 

"  rich  revenue,  #  glorious  authority,  goes 
"  along  with  it.  Thou  (halt  reign  forever 
"  and  ever  ;*  and  be  a  king,  as  well  as  a 
"prieft,  untoGod."t 

They  who  enter  by  a  lively  faith  into  the 
import  of  thefe  glorious  words,  will  (I  doubt 
not)  pardon  my  having  expatiated  fo  largely 
upon  them.  We  have  believed,  and  there- 
fore have  we  fpoken  :+  And  I  queftion  not, 
but  that  many  of  you  have,  in  the  courfe  of 
this  representation,  prevented  me  in  fome 
of  the  refledtiqns,  which  naturally  arife  from 
fuch  a  jfubjeQ:.  Yjet  it  may  not  be  improper 
to  aflift  your  devout  meditations  upon  them. 
1.  What  reafon  have  we  to  adore  the 
grace  of  our  blefled  Redeemer,  which  pre- 
pares, and  bellows,  fuch  rewards  as  thefe  ! 

While  we  hear  him  faying,  be  thou  faith- 
ful unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown 
of  life  ;  methinks  it  is  but  natural  for  each 
of  our  hearts  to  anfwer,  "  Lord,  doft  thou 
fpeak  of  giving  a  crewn,  a  crown  of  life 
aptd  glory  to  me  !  Too  great,  too  great, 
might  the  favour  feem,  if  I,  vvho  have  fo 
often  lifted  up  my  rebellious  hand  againft 
thy  throne,  might  be  allowed  to  lay  down 
this  guilty  head  in  the  duft,  and  lofe  the 
memory  of  my  treafons,  and  the  fenfe  of 
my  punifhment   together,  in  everlafting 

for^ifulnefs. 
*  Rev.  xxii.  5.      f  Rev*  *•  6'     t  2  Cor.  **•  J3» 


€i 


*39 

*  forgfctfulnefs.     And  is  fuch  a  crown  pre- 
"  pared,  and  wilt  thou, my  injured  fovereign, ' 
"who  mighteft  fo  juftly  arm  thyfelf  with 
"  vengeance  againft  me,  beftow  this  crown 

*  with  thine  own  hand  ;  with  all  thefe  othef 
"  circumftances  of  dignity,  fo   as  even  to 

iC  make  my  triumphs  thine  own  ! What 

"  is  my  drifted  fidelity  to  thee  ?  Though  I 
c<  do  indeed  (as  I  humbly  defire  that  I  may) 
cc  continue  faithful  unto  death,  I  am  yet  but 
m  an  unprofitable  fervant  ;  I  have  done  no 
<c  rtiore  than  my  duty.*  I  have  purfued 
"  thy  work,  in  thy  ftrength  ;  and,  in  confe- 
"  quence  of  that  love  which  thou  haft  put 
u  into  my  heart,  it  hath  been  its  own  reward  : 
H  And  doll  thou  thus  crown  one  favour  with 

w  another  ! Blefled  Jefus,  I  would  with 

"  all  humility  lay  that  crown  at  thy  feet, 
"  acknowledging  before  thee,  and  the  whole 
fC  world,  (as  I  {hall  at  length  do  in  a  more 
€<  expreffive  form)  that  it  is  not  only  the  gift 
<c  of  thy  love,  but  the  purchafe  of  thy  blood. 
n  Never,  never  had  I  beheld  it,  otherwife 
n  than  at  an  unapproachable  diftan;;e,  as  au 
"  aggravation  of  my  mifery  and  defpair, 
"  hadft  not  thou  worn  another  crown,  a 
f<  crown  of  infamy  and  of  thorns.  The 
iC  gems  which  mud  forever  adorn  my  tem- 
cl  pies,   were  formed  from   thofe   precious 

u  drops 
*  Luke,  xvii.  xo, 


"  drops,  that  once  trickled  down  thine;  and 
. fc  all  the  fplendor  of  my  robes  of  triumph  is 
€t  owing  to  their  being  waftied  in  the  blood 
c<  of  the  lamb."*  With  what  pleafing 
wonder  may  we  purfue  the  thought  !  And 
while  it  employs  our  mind, 

2.  How  juftly  may  this  awaken  a  gener- 
ous ambition  to  fecure  this  crown  to  our- 
felves  ! 

Dearly  as  it  was  purchafed  by  our  blefled 
Redeemer,  it  is  moft  freely  offered  to  us*  t<* 
the  youngeft,  to  the  rneaneft,  to  the  moft 
unworthy.  It  i«  not  prepared,  merely  for 
thofe  that  have  worn  an  earthly  diadem  or 
coronet :  (Would  to  God  it  were  not  de- 
fpifed  hympft  of  them,  as  a  thing  lefs  wor- 
thy of. their  thoughts,  than  the.  moft  trifling 
amufement,  by  which  they  unbend  their 
minds  from  the  weighty  cares  attending  their 
ftation  !)  But  it  is  prepared  for  you,  and  for 
you;  even  for  every  one,  who  thinks  it 
worth  purfuing,  and  accepting,  upon  the 
terms  of  the  gofpel  covenant  ;  for  every 
one,  who  believing  in  Chrift,  and  loving 
him,  is  humbly  determined  through  his 
grace  to  be  faithful  unto  death.  And  fhall 
this  glorious  propofal  be  made  to  you  in 
vain  ?  Were  it  an  earthly  crown  that  could 
lawfully  be  obtained,  are  there  not  many  of 

us, 

*  Rev.  vii.  14. 


24* 

us,  notwithftanding  all  its  weight  of  anxie- 
ties, and  all  the  piercing  thorns  with  which. 
we  might  know  it  to  be  lined,  that  would 
be  ready  eagerly  to  feize  it,  and  perhaps  to 
contend  and  quarrel  with  each  other  for  it  ? 
But  here  is  no  foundation  for  contention. 
Here  is  a  crown  for  each  ;  and  fuch  a  crown, 
that  all  the  royal  ornaments  of  all  the 
princes  upon  earth,  when  compared  with  it, 
are  lighter  than  a  feather,  and  viler  than 
duft.  And  fhall  we  negle6i  it  ?  Shall  we 
refufe,  it,  from  fuch  a  hand  too,  as  that  by 
which  it  is  offered  ?  Shall  we  fo  judge  our-* 
felves  unworthy  of  eternal  life,*  as  thereby 
indeed  to  make  ourfelves  worthy  of  eternal 
death  ?  For  there  is  no  other  alternative. — 
But  blefled  be  God,  it  is  not  univerfally 
negle6led.  There  are,  I  doubt  not,  among 
you,  many  who  purfue  it,  many  who  (hall 
affuredly  obtain  it.  For  their  fakes  let  us 
refleft, 

3.  How  courageoufly  may  the  heads 
which  are  to  wear  fuch  a  crown,  be  lifted  up 
to  face  all  the  trials  of  life  and  death  ! 

Thofe  trials  may  be  various,  and  perhaps 
extreme  ;  but  if  borne  aright,  far  from  de- 
priving us  of  this  crown,  they  will  only  ferve 
to  increafe  its  luftre.  It  is  the  apoftle  Paul's 
exprefs  affertion  ;  and  he  fpeaks,  as  tranf- 
W  ported 

*  Afts,  xiii.  4-6. 


242 

ported  with  the  thought :  For  this  caufe  we 
faint  not,  but  though  the  outward  man  per- 
ifh,  yet  the  inward  man  is  renewed  day  by 
day  :  For  our  light  affli&ion,  which  is  but 
for  a  moment,  worketh  for  us  a  far  ir.ore 
exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory  ; 
while  we  look  not  at  the  things  which  are 
feen,  but  at  the  things  which  are  not  feen  ; 
for  the  things  which  are  feen  are  temporal, 
but  the  things  which  are  not  feen  are  -eter- 
nal.* Surely  with  this  fupport,  we  may 
not  only  live,  but  triumph,  in  poverty,  in 
reproach,  in  weaknefs,  in  pain  :  And  with 
this  we  may  die,  not  only  ferenely,  but 
joyfully.  Oh  my  friends,  where  are  our 
hearts  ?  Where  is  our  faith  ?  Nay,  I  will 
add,  where  is  our  reafon  ?  Why  are  not  our 
eyes,  our  defires,  and  our  hopes,. more  fre- 
quently direfted  upward  ?  Surely  one  ray 
from  that  refplendent  diadem  might  be  fuf- 
ficient  to  confound  all  the  falfe  charms  of 
thefe  tranfitory  vanities,  which  indeed  owe 
all  their  luftre  to  the  darknefs  in  which  they 
are  placed.  Surely  when  our  fpirits  are 
overwhelmed  within  us,  one  glance  of  it 
might  be  fufficient  to  animate  and  elevate, 
and  might  teach  us  to  fay,  in  the  midft  of 
dangers,  farrows,  and. death,  in  all  thefe 
things  wc  are  more  than  conquerors,  through 

him 

*  2„Cor.  iv.  16,  17,  i.£. 


243 

him  (hat  loved  us.*  Thus  have  fome  tri- 
umphed in  the  lafl  extremities  of  uature  ; 
and  both  the  fubjeft,  and  the  occafion  alfo, 
loudly  calls  us  to  reflect, 

4.  What  reafon  we  have  to  congratulate 
thofe  happy  fouls,  that  have  already  received 
the  crown  of  life  ! 

When  we  are  weeping  over  the  cold,  yea 
the  bleeding  remains  of  fuch,  furefv  it  is  for 
ourfelves,  and  not  for  them,  that  the  ftream 
flows.  The  thought  of  their  condition,  far 
from  moving  our  companion,  may  rather 
infpire  us  with  joy,  and  with  praife.  Loclc 
not  on  their  pale  countenance,  nor  on  the 
wide  and  deep  wounds,  through  which  per- 
haps the  foul  rufhed  out  to  feize  the  great 
prize  of  its  faith  and  hope  ;  though  even 
thofe  wounds  appear  beautiful,  when  earned 
by  diftinguifhed  virtue,  by  piety  to  their 
country,  and  their  God*  Look  not  on  the 
eyes  doled  in  death,  or  the  once  honoured 
and  beloved  head,  now  covered  with  the 
dull  of  the  grave  :  But  view,  by  an  internal 
believing  eye,  that  different  form  which  the 
exalted  triumphant  fpirit  already  wears,  the 
earnefl  of  a  yet  brighter  glory.  Their  great 
leader,  whofe  care  of  them  we  are  fond- 
ly ready  to  fufpeft,  or  fecretly  to  com- 
plain of  as  deficient  in  fuch  circumftance;? 

a> 

*  Rom.  viii.37. 


Hi 

as  thefe,  points,  as  it  were,  to  the  white 
robes,  and  the  flouriftiing  palms,  which  he 
has  given  them  ;  and  calls  for  our  regard  to 
the  crowns  of  life,  which  he  has  fet  on  their 
heads,  and  to  the  fongs  of  joy  and  praife  to 
which  he  has  formed  their  exulting  tongues. 
And  do  we  fully  and  difhonor  their  triumphs 
with  our  tears  ?  Do  we  think  fo  meanly  of 
heaven,  and  of  them,  as  to  wifh  them  with  us 
again  ;  that  they  might  eat  and  drink  at  our 
tables ;  that  they  might  talk  with  us  in  our 
low  language  ;  that  they  might  travel  with  us 
from  fiage  to  flage  in  this  wildernefs  ;  and 
take  their  fhare  with  us  in  thofe  vanities  of 
life,  of  which  we  ourfelves  are  fo  often 
weary,  that  there  is  hardly  a  week,  or  a  day, 
in  which  we  are  not  lifting  up  our  eyes,  and 
faying  with  a  deep  inward  groan,  oh  that  we 
had  wings  like  a  dove  !  Then  would  we  flee 
away,  and  be  at  reft.* 

Surely,  with  relation  to  thefe  faithful  fol- 
diers  of  Jefus  Chrifl:,  who  have  already  fall- 
en, it  is  matter  of  no  fmall  joy  to  reflect, 
that  their  warfare  is  accomplished  ;t  that 
they  have  at  length  pafled  through  every 
fcene  in  which  their  fidelity  could  be  en- 
dangered ;  fo  that  now,  they  are  inviolably 
fecure.  How  much  more  then  fhould  we 
rejoice,  that  they  are  entered,,  not  only  into 
the  reft,  but  into  the  joy  of  their  Lord  ;  that 

*  Pfal.  \v.  6.  t  Ifai.  xl.  2.  they 


!l2 

they  conquered,  even  when  they  fell,  and 
are  now  reaping  the  fruits,  the  celeflial  and 
immortal  fruits,  of  that  laft  great  victory  ? 

A  fenfe  of  honour  often  taught  the  hea- 
thens, when  attending  thofe  friends  to  the 
funeral  pile  who  had  died  honourably  in 
their  country's  caufe,  to  ufe  fome  ceremo- 
nies expreflive  of  their  joy  for  their  glory  ; 
though  that  glory  was  an  empty  name,  and 
all  the  reward  of  it  a  wreath  of  laurel,  which 
was  foon  to  crackle  in  the  flame,  and  vanifh 
into  fmoak.  And  fhall  hot  the  joy  and 
glory  of  the  living  fpirit  affe£l  us,  much 
more  than  they  could  be  affefted  with  the 
honours  paid  to  the  mangled  corpfe  ? 

Let  us  then  think  with  reverence,  and 
with  joy,  on  the  pious  dead  ;  and  efpecially 
on  thofe,  whom  God  honoured  with  any 
fpecial  opportunities  of  approving  their 
'fidelity,  in  life,  or  in  death  :  And  if  we 
mourn,  (as  who,  in  fome  circumftances,  can 
forbear  it  ?)  let  it  be  as  Chriftians  with  that 
mixture  of  high  congratulation,  with  that 
ereft  countenance,  and  that  undaunted 
heart,  which  becomes  thofe  that  fee  by  faith 
their  exaltation  and  felicity  ;  and  burning 
with  a  ftrong  and  facred  eagernefs  to  join 
their  triumphant  company,  let  us  be  ready 
to  fhare  in  the  moft  painful  of  their  trials, 
that  we  may  alfo  fhare  in  their  glories. 

Vv  2  And 


246 

And  furely,  if  I  have  ever  known  a  life, 
and  a  death,  capable  of  infpiring  us  with 
thefe  fentiments  in  their  fublimeft  elevations, 
it  was  the  life  and  the  death  of  that  illuftri- 
ous  Chriflian  hero,  Col.  Gardiner  ;  whofe 
charafter  was  too  well  known  to  many  of 
you,  by  fome  months  refidence  here,  to  need 
your  being  informed  of  it  from  me  ;  and 
whofe  hiftory  was  too  remarkable,  to  be  con- 
fined within  thofe  few  remaining  moments, 
which  mud  be  allotted  to  the  finifhing  of 
this  difcourfe.  Yet  there  was  fomething  fo 
uncommon  in  both,  that  I  think  it  of  high 
importance  to  the  honour  of  the  gofpel  and 
grace  of  Ghrift>  that  they  fhould  be  deliv- 
ered down  to  pofterity,  in  a  diftin£l  and 
particular  view.  And  therefore,  as  the 
providence  of  God,  in  concurrence  with 
that  mod  intimate  and  familiar  friendfhip 
with  which  this  great  and  good  rpan  was 
pleafed  to  honour  me,  gives  me  an  oppor- 
tunity of  fpeaking  of  many  important  things, 
efpecially  relating  to  his  religious  experi- 
ences, with  greater  exaftnefs  and  certainty 
than  moft  others  might  be  capable  of  doing  ; 
and  as  he  gave  me  his  full  permiffion,  in  cafe 
I  fhould  have  the  affliction  to  furvive  him, 
to  declare  freely  whatever  I  knew  of  him, 
which  I  might  apprehend  conducive  to  the 
glory  of  God,  and  the  advancement  of  re- 
ligion;* 


247 

ligion  ;  I  purpofe  publishing,  in  adiftindi 
tra£t,  fome  remarkable  paffages  of  his  life, 
illuftrated  by  extrafls  from  his  own  letters, 
which  fpeak  in  the  mofl  forcible  manner  the 
genuine  fentiments  of  his  heart..  But  as  I 
promife  myfelf  confiderable  affiftance  in  this 
work  from  fome  valuable  perfons  in  the 
northern  part  of  our  ifland,  and  poffibly 
from  fome  of  his  own  papers,  to  which  our 
prefent  confufions  forbid  my  accefs,  I  muft 
delay  the  execution  of  this  defign  at  leaft 
for  a  few  months  ;  and  muft  likewife  take 
heed,  that  I  do  not  too  much  anticipate  whair 
I  may  then  offer  to  the  publick  vie\vy  by 
what  it  might  otherwife  be  very  proper  to 
mention  now. 

Let  it  therefore  fuffice  for  the  prefent  to 
remind  you,  that  Colonel  Gardiner  was  one 
cf  the  mofl  illuftrious  inftances  of  the  en- 
ergy, and  indeed  I  muft  alfo  add,  of  the 
fovereignty  of  divine  grace,  which  I  have 
heard  or  read  of  in  modern  hiftory.  He 
was  in  the  mofl  amazing  and  miraculous 
manner,  without  any  divine  ordinance,  with* 
out  any  religious  opportunity,  or  peculiar 
advantage,  deliverance,  or  affliftion,  reclaim- 
ed on  a  fudden,  in  the  vigour  of  life  and 
health,  from  the  mofl  licentious  and  aban- 
doned fenfuality,  not  only  to  a  fteady  courfe 
of  regularity  and  virtue,  but  to  high  devo- 
tion, 


*i8 

tion,  and  ftrift,  though  unaffe&ed  fan&tty 
of  manners :  A  courfe,  (in  which  he  per- 
fifted  for  more  than  twenty  fix  years,  that 
is,  to  the  clofe  of  life)  fo  remarkably  eminent 
for  piety  towards  God,  diffufive  humanity 
and  Chriftian  charity,  lively  faith,  deep 
humility,  ftri£t  temperance,  a6Hve  diligence 
in  improving  time,  meek  refignation  to  the 
will  of  God,  fteady  patience  in  enduring 
affliftions,  unafFefted  contempt  of  fecular 
intereft,  and  refolute  and  couragious  zeal  in 
maintaining  truth,  as  well  as  in  reproving 
and  (where  his  authority  might  take  place) 
reftraining  vice  and  wickednefs  of  every 
kind  ;  that  I  muft  deliberately  declare,  that 
when  I  confider  all  thefe  particulars  together, 
it  is  hard  to  fay  where,  but  in  the  book  of 
God,  he  found  his  example,  or  where  he  has 
left  his  equal.  Every  one  of  thefe  articles, 
with  many  more3  I  hope,  if  God  fpare  my 
life,  to  have  an  opportunity  of  illufirating, 
in  fuch  a  manner  as  to  fhew,  that  he  was  a 
living  demonflration  of  the  energy  and  ex- 
cellency of  the  Chriftian  religion  ;  nor  can 
I  imagine  how  I  can  ferve  its  interelb  bet- 
ter, than  by  recording  what  I  have  feen  and 
known  upon  this  head,  known  to  my  own 
edification,  as  well  as  my  joy. 

But   oh,    how   lhall    1    lead    back    your 
thoughts,   and  my   own,  to  what  we  once 

enjoyed 


*49 

enjoyed  in  him,  without  too  deep  and  ten- 
der a  fenfe  of  what  we  have  loft  !  To  have 
poured  out  his  foul  in  blood  ;  to  have  fallen 
by  the  favage  and  rebellious  hands  of  his 
own  countrymen,  at  the  wall  of  his  own 
houfe  ;  deferted  by  thofe,  who  were  under 
the  higheft  obligations  that  can  be  imagined 
to  have  defended  his  life  with  their  own  ; 
and  above  ail,  to  have  feen  with  his  dying 
eyes  the  enemies  of  our  religion  and  liber- 
ties triumphant,  and  to  have  heard  in  his 
latefl;  moments  the  horrid  noife  of  their  in- 
fulting  fhouts  ;— -is  a  fcene,  in  the  \icv/  of 
which  we  are  alrnoft  tempted  to  fay,  where 
were  the  fiiields  of  angels  ?  Where  the  eye 
of  Providence  ?  Where  the  remembrance  of 
thofe  numberlefs  prayers,  which  had  been 
offered  to  God  for  the  prefervation  of  fuch 
a  man,  at  fuch  a  time  as  this  ?  But  let  faith 
aifure  us,  that  he  was  never  more  dear  and 
precious  in  the  eye  of  his  divine  leader,  than 
in  thefe  dreadful  moments,  when  if  fenfe 
were  to  judge,  he  might  feem  mod  negieft- 
ed.  That  is  of  all  others  the  happiefl  death, 
which  may  mod  fenfibly  approve  our  fidel- 
ity to  God,  and  our  zeal  for  his  glory.  To 
ftand  fingly  in  the  combat  with  the  fierceft 
enemies,  in  the  caufe  of  religion  and  liberty, 
when  the  whole  regiment  he  commanded 
fled  s.  to  throw  himfelf  with  fo  noble  an  ar- 
dor 


250 

dor  to  defend  thofe  on  foot,  whom  the  whole 
body  which  he  headed  were  appointed  to 
fupport,  when  he  faw  that  the  fall  of  the 
neareft  commander  cxpofed  thofe  brave  men 
to  the  extremity  of  danger  ;  were  circum- 
ftances  that  evidently  fhewed,  how  much  he 
held  honor  and  duty  dearer  than  life.  He 
eould  not  buc  be  confeious  of  the  diftin- 
guifhed  profeffion  he  had  made,  under  a  re- 
ligious character  ;  he  could  not  but  be  fen- 
fible,  how  much  our  army,  in  circumflances 
like  thefe,  needs  all  that  the  moft  generous 
examples  can  do,  to  animate  its  officers  and 
its  foldiers  :  And  therefore  he  feems  delibe- 
rately to  have  judged,  that  altho*  when  his 
men  would  hear  no  voice  but  that  of  their 
fears,  he  might  have  retreated  without  infa- 
my, it  was  better  he  Ihould  die  in  fo  glorious 
a  caufe,  than  have  it  thought  that  his  regard 
to  religion  and  liberty  was  but  a  mere  pro- 
feffion, that  was  not  flrong  enough  to  make 
him  faithful  unto  death.  He  had  long  fell' 
the  force  of  it ;  and  had  too  high  a  value  for 
his  king  and  country,  to  think  of  deferting 
the  truft  committed  to  him  ;  too  great  a 
love  for  the  proteftant  religion,  to  think  of 
exchanging  it  for  the  errors  of  Popery  ;  and 
rather  than  give  way  to  a  rebellious  crew, 
by  whofe  fuccefs  an  inlet  would  be  opened 
to  the  cruel  ravages  of  arbitrary  power,  and 

to 


251 

to  the  bloody  and  relentlefs  rape  of  Pupifih 
fuperftition,   he  loved  not  his  hie  unto  the 
death.*     And   in  this    view   his  death  was 
martyrdom,  and  has,  I  doubt  not,  received 
the  applaufes  and  rewards  of  it  :   For  what 
is  martyrdom,  but  voluntarily  to  meet  death, 
for  the  honour  of  God,  and  the  teftimony 
of  a  good  confeience  ?  And  if  it  be  indeed 
true,   as  it  is  reported  on  very  confiderable 
authority,  that  before  he  expired  he  had  an 
interview  with   the  leader  of  the  oppofite 
party,  and  declared  in  his  prefence  "  the  full 
M  aifurance  he  had  of  an   immortal  crown, 
c<  which  hs  was  going  to  receive,' '  it  is  a  cir- 
-cumftance  worthy  of  being  had  in  everlafU 
ing  remembrance  :  As  in  that  cafe,  provi- 
dence may  feem  wonderfully  to  have  united 
two  feemingly  inconfiftent  circumftances,  in 
the  manner  of  his  dying  ;  the  alternative  of 
either  of  which   he   has    fpoken  of  in   my 
hearing,  as  what  with  humble  fubmiffion  to 
the  great  Lord  of  life,  he   could  mod  ear- 
neftly  wifh  :   "That  if  he  were  not  called 
cc  dire£tly  to  die  for  the  truth,"    which  he 
lightly  judged  the  mofl  glorious  and  happy 
Jot  of  mortality,  "  he  might  either  fall  in  the 
fc  field  of  battle,   fighting  in   defence  of  the; 
M  religion  and  liberties   of  his  country  ;   or 
'f  plight  have  an  opportunity  of  expreflin^ 


<c 


25* 

"  his  hopes  and  joya,  as  a  ChrifUan,  to  the 
<c  honour  of  his  Lord,  and  the  edification  of 
cc  thofe  about  him,  in  his  departing  mo- 
"  ments  ;  and  fo  might  go  off  this  earthly 
"  ftage,"  as  in  the  letter  that  relates  his 
death,  it  is  exprefsly  faid  that  he  did,  "  tri- 
"  umphing  in  the  aflurance  of  a  blefled  im- 
u  mortality/ * 

How  difficult  it  muft  be  in  our  prefent 
circumftances,  to  gain  certain  and  exaft  in- 
formation, you  will  eafily  perceive  :  But 
enough  is  known,  and  more  than  enough, 
to  fhew  how  juftly  the  high  confolations  of 
that  glorious  fubjeft  which  we  have  been 
contemplating,  may  be  applied  to  the  pref- 
ent folemn  occafion.  From  what  is  certain 
with  relation  to  him,  we  may  prefume  to 
fay,  that  after  he  had  adorned  the  gofpel  by 
fo  honourable  a  life,  in  fuch  a  confpicuous 
ftation,  God  feems  to  have  condefcended,  as 
with  his  own  hand,  to  raife  him  an  illuftri-* 
ous  theatre,  on  which  he  might  die  a  ven- 
erable and  amiable  fpeftacle  to  the  world, 
and  to  angels,  and  to  men  ;*  ballancing  to 
his  native  land  by  fuch  an  exit,  the  lofs  of 
what  future  fervices  it  could  have  expe&ed, 
from  a  conftitution  fo  much  broken  as  his 
was,   by   the  fatigues  of  his   campaign  in 

Flanders, 

*  1  Cor.  iv.  9. 


253 

Flinders,  where  he  contra£ted  .an  ill- 
nefs,  from  which  he  never  recovered. 

On  the  whole  therefore,  whatever 
<:aufe  we  have,  (as  indeed  we  have  great 
caufe)  to  fympathize  with  his  wounded 
family,  and  with  his  wounded  country  ; 
and  how  decent  foever  it  may  be,  like 
David,  to  take  up  .our  lamentation 
over  the  mighty  fallen,  and  the  brighteft 
weapons  of  our  war  periflied  ;*  (a»d  Oh, 
how  naturally  might  fome  of  us  adopt 
the  preceding  words  too  !)  Yet  after  all, 
let  us  endeavour  to  fumrnon  up  a  fpirit, 
like  that  with  which  he  bore  the  lofs  of 
friends,  eminent  for  their  goodnefs  and 
ufefulnefs.  And  while  we  glorify  God 
in  him,t  as  on  fo  many  accounts  we  have 
reafan  to  do,  let  us  be  animated  by  fuch 
an  example  to  a  resolution  of  continuing 
3ike  him,  itedfaft  in  our  duty,  amidft  de- 
fertion  and  danger,  and  all  the  terrors 
that  can  befetus  around.  As  he,  having 
been  fo  eminently  faithful  unto  death, 
has  undoubtedly  received  a  crown  of  life, 
which  fhines  with  diflinguifhed  luftre,  a- 

mong 

*  2  Sam»  i.  27, 

t  Gal.  ir  24. 

x 


254 

mong  thofe  who  are  come  out  of  much 
tribulation  ;*  let  us  be  courageous  fol- 
lowers of  him,  and  of  all  the  glorious 
company  of  thofe,  who  through  faith  and 
^patience  inherit  the  promifes.t  Then 
may  we  be  able  to  enter  into  the  comfort 
and  fpirit  of  them  all,  and  of  this  prom- 
ife  in  particular ;  and  fhall  not  be  dif- 
couraged,  though  we  are  called  toendure 
a  great  fight  of  affli£lions,J  or  even  to 
facrifice  our  lives,  like  him,  in  defence  of 
our  religion  and  liberties  :  Since  in  this 
caufe  we  know,  if  we  Ihould  fall  like  him, 
even  to  die  is  gain  51t  and  while  his 
memory  is  bleffed,**  and  his  name  had 
m  honor,  we  are  affured  upon  the  beft 
authority,  that  having  fought  the  good 
fight  with  fo  heroick  a  fortitude,  and  fin- 
ifhed  his  courfe  with  fo  fteady  a  tenor, 
and  kept  the  faith  witlv  fo  unfliaken  a 
lefolution,  there  is  laid  up  for  him  a 
crown  of  brighter  glory  than  he  has  yet 
received,  which  the  Lord  the  righteous 
judge  will  give  unto  him  in  that  great 
expe&edday;  and  not  unto  him  only, 
but  unto  all  them  that  love  his  appear- 
ance.    2  Tim/nv.  7,  &>     Amen  ! 

*   Rev.  vii.  14.  *  Phil.  i.  21. 

+  Heb.  vi.  12.  **  Fr«>v.  x.  7. 

I  Heb.  x,  32. 


AN 

HYMN. 

Sung  aftct  the  Sermon. 

I. 

HARK  !  'tis  our  Heav'nly  Leader's  voice 
F'om  his  triumphant  feat  : 
Midft  ail  the  war's  tumultuous  noife, 
How  powerful,  and  how  fweet  I 
II. 
«  Fight  on,  my  faithful  band,"  he  cries* 

"  Nor  fear  the  mortal  blow : 
Who  firft  in  fuch  a  warfare  dies, 
Shall  fpeedieft  vi£lory  know. 
III. 
I  have  my  days  of  combat  known, 

And  in  the  duft  was  laid : 
But  thence  I  mounted  to  my  throne, 
And  glory  srowns  my  head. 
IV. 
That  throne,  that  glory,  you  (hall  fhare ; 

My  hands  the  crown  ihall  give : 
And  you  the  fparkling  honours  wear, 
While  God  himfelf  {hall  live." 
V. 
Lord,  'tis  enough  !  our  bofoms  glcfw 

With  courage,  and  with  love  : 
Thine  hand  (hall  bear  thy  foldiers  thro^ 
And  raife  trwir  heads  above. 
VI. 
My  foul,  while  deaths  befet  me  round, 

Erecls  her  ardent  eyes  ; 
And  longs,  thro'  fome  illuftrious  wound, 
To  rufh  and  feize  the  prize, 


HB 


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